If you live in North Dakota when you apply for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI), your claim will be sent to a state agency in Bismarck called Disability Determination Services (DDS). At North Dakota DDS, a claims examiner will decide whether you are medically disabled. If the claims examiner denies your claim, you'll have to file an appeal. From then on, your claim will be handled by Social Security's Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) in Fargo. You'll find contact information and approval statistics for these offices below.
A claims examiner from DDS will probably contact you after he or she receives your file. Here is the contact information for DDS in Bismarck.
Disability Determination Services
1237 West Divide, Suite 4
Bismarck, North Dakota 58501
701-328-8700
Website: http://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/disabilities/dds.html
Your chance of having the Bismarck DDS approve your initial disability application is 45%, which is significantly higher than the national average. If, like most, you are denied, you can ask DDS to reconsider the claim. Out of those who reconsider, 14% are approved for benefits. If you are denied a second time, you must request a hearing to appeal the denial.
| Stage of Application |
North Dakota |
Nationally |
|
Initial Application Approval |
45% |
35% |
|
14% |
13% |
|
|
58% |
45% |
|
|
16 months |
16 months |
If you request a hearing, it will be held at an OHO location. The wait time for a hearing in North Dakota is 16 months, the same as the national average.
There is a local hearing office in Fargo. Here is its contact information.
Office of Hearings Operations
655 First Avenue North, Suite 150
Fargo, North Dakota 58102-4971
Telephone: (877) 319-3073
After attending a disability hearing in Fargo, you have a 58% chance of having the administrative law judge (ALJ) approve your disability benefits, which is about the same as the national average.
For those who want to try to return to work but need help, North Dakota's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) offers vocational services such as counseling and training, adaptive equipment, and job placement. Here is VR's contact information:
Division of North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation State Offices
1000 E Divide Avenue
Bismarck, North Dakota 58501
Telephone: 701-328-8950
Website: http://www.nd.gov/dhs/dvr/index.html
If you are denied benefits by North Dakota DDS and want to appeal, you should consider hiring a lawyer to represent you at your ALJ hearing. Most disability claimants bring a disability lawyer to their hearing because their chance of winning benefits at a hearing is significantly higher with a lawyer.
Need a lawyer? Start here.