If you're filing for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or SSI disability and you live in Tennessee, you apply to the Social Security Administration. But even though Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are federal programs, states have their own agencies that decide whether you're disabled. States differ in how many claims they approve for disability benefits and how long a claim takes to be decided.
You can apply for disability in three different ways, depending on the type of benefit you are eligible for.
Online applications. SSDI applicants can apply online at www.ssa.gov/pgm/disability.htm. Most SSI applicants can start their application online, but they need to complete it by phone or in person.
Local field offices. Your local Tennessee field office can help you with your application. Listed below is the contact information for the office nearest you. Some field offices require appointments.
Applying by telephone. You can also apply for disability benefits by telephone at (800) 772-1213. If you're deaf or hearing impaired, call (800) 325-0778.
A claims examiner at Disability Determination Services approves or denies initial applications for SSDI or SSI, in consultation with a doctor. The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) administers the Disability Determination Services (DDS) program.
Here is the contact information for Tennessee's DDS:
400 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 743-7300 or (800) 342-1117
Fax: (615) 253-2727
After you submit your disability application, you can contact the DDS for status updates. For more information, visit the Department of Human Service's (DHS) website.
Like most states, Tennessee's appeal process has four steps: reconsideration, hearing, Appeals Council, and federal court.
Step 1: Reconsideration. If your initial application for disability is denied, you have 60 days from when you receive the denial to ask that the DDS reconsider its decision. A new claims examiner at DDS reviews your case during a reconsideration.
Step 2: Hearing Level. You have 60 days to request a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) if your request for reconsideration is denied. Hearings are held at the hearing office located nearest to your field office (see below for contact information).
Step 3: Appeals Council. If the ALJ denies your claim, you have 60 days from the date you receive the denial to appeal to the Appeals Council (AC). The AC will review your appeal and can reverse the ALJ's decision, return it to the ALJ with instructions to reconsider certain evidence, or deny your request for review.
Step 4: Federal court. If the AC won't review your claim or denies your claim, you can appeal to the federal district court in Tennessee. There are district courts in Tennessee for the Eastern District, the Western District, and the Middle District.
In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the Tennessee DDS approved 35% of disability claims at the initial application level, slightly less than the national average. The Tennessee DDS approved only 12% of the claims at the reconsideration level.
In contrast, Tennessee ALJs awarded benefits in 57% of the cases they heard. Of those approvals, 50% were fully favorable, and 7% were partially favorable. But it took, on average, nine months from the time the request for a hearing was filed to the date the case was decided by an ALJ.
Stage of Application |
Tennessee |
Nationally |
Initial Application Approvals |
35% |
36% |
Reconsideration Approvals |
12% |
13% |
Appeal Hearing Approvals |
57% |
51% |
Hearing Wait Time |
9 months |
10 months |
Tennessee law places a limit on how much a doctor's office or hospital can charge you for your medical records.
In Tennessee, medical providers can charge $4.00 a page for the first five pages of records and $0.50 for any additional pages. These charges are waived if the records are being sent to another health care provider or medical facility. The medical care provider can also charge for postage.
The federal government funds an SSI payment of up to $841 a month, but if you have any income, your SSI payment will be less. Some states provide an extra supplement, but at this time, Tennessee does not supplement SSI payments.
Contact information for Tennessee's Social Security disability-related offices is listed below.
Tennessee has six hearing offices located throughout the state. They are called Offices of Hearing Operations (OHO); formerly, they were known as Offices of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). Below is the contact information for each office.
Chattanooga
Suite 200
1232 Premier Drive
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (877) 833-2721
Fax: (833) 510-0092
eFile Fax: (877) 470-509
Areas Serviced: Athens, Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Tullahoma
Franklin
Suite 350
6840 Carothers Parkway
Franklin, TN 37067-6538
Telephone: (866) 568-9450
Fax: (833) 763-0400
eFile Fax: (877) 560-6889
Areas Serviced: Columbia, Jackson, Lawrenceburg, McMinnville, Murfreesboro, and Selmer
Kingsport
2405 South Wilcox Drive
Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: (888) 632-6913
Fax: (833) 710-0403
eFile Fax: (877) 601-3827
Areas Serviced: Greenville, Kingsport, Johnson City, and Morristown
Knoxville
135 Circle Lane
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (877) 692-3141
Fax: (833) 510-0096
eFile Fax: (877) 435-0335
Areas Serviced: Cookeville, Jacksboro, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge
Memphis
309 Monroe Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (866) 348-5830
Fax: (833) 604-0727
eFile Fax: (877) 844-8753
Areas Serviced: Dyersburg, Memphis Downtown, Memphis North, Memphis South, and Union City
Nashville
221 Cumberland Bend
Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: (877) 583-4103
Fax: (833) 604-0725
eFile Fax: (877) 847-1598
Areas Serviced: Clarksville, Gallatin, Madison, Nashville, and Paris
Field offices are served by the Nashville, Chattanooga, Franklin, Memphis, Knoxville, or Kingsport hearing office locations. The hearing office schedules and conducts the hearings and manages the case file once it gets to the hearing level.
Athens Office
921 Congress Parkway North
Athens, TN 37303
Phone: (866) 964-7431
Chattanooga Office
1290 Premier Drive, Suite 140
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (866) 964-0029
Clarksville Office
119 Center Pointe Drive
Clarksville, TN 37040
Phone: (877) 531-4695
Cleveland Office
529 Inman Street West
Cleveland, TN 37311
Phone: (855) 207-4867
Columbia Office
1885 Shady Brook Street
Columbia, TN 38401
Phone: (877) 876-3174
Cookeville Office
1145 Perimeter Park Drive
Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone: (888) 717-1528
Dyersburg Office
1070 Vendall Road
Dyersburg, TN 38024
Phone: (877) 480-5002
Gallatin Office
637 Commons Drive
Gallatin, TN 37066
Phone: (866) 964-7392
Greenville Office
1618 Old Tusculum Road
Greeneville, TN 37745
Phone: (877) 405-0416
Jacksboro (La Follette) Office
140 Sharp Perkins Road
Jacksboro, TN 37757
Phone: (866) 964-7324
Jackson Office
415 Cheyenne Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
Phone: (888) 383-1593
Johnson City Office
818 Sunset Drive
Suite 203
Johnson City, TN 37604
Phone: (866) 964-5059
Kingsport Office
2401 South Wilcox Drive
Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: (888) 487-0161
Knoxville Office
9031 Cross Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (866) 331-9091
Lawrenceburg Office
109 E. Taylor Street
Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (877) 405-5866
Madison Office
140 Cude Lane
Madison, TN 37115
Phone: (866) 964-6302
McMinnville Office
900 Sparta St.
McMinnville, TN 37110
Phone: (877) 616-2515
Memphis Downtown Office
1330 Monroe Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Phone: (866) 336-2212
Memphis North Office
3602 Austin Peay Hwy
Memphis, TN 38128
Phone: (855) 420-8557
Memphis South Office
3461 South Third Street
Memphis, TN 38109
Phone: (855) 782-9155
Morristown Office
3112 Millers Point Drive
Morristown, TN 37813
Phone: (866) 875-6156
Murfreesboro Office
2836 Saint Patrick Center
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Local Phone: (866) 593-3112
Nashville Office
120 Athens Way
Nashville, TN 37228
Local Phone: (877) 808-5461
Oak Ridge Office
565 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Local Phone: (866) 676-2954
Paris Office
186 Commerce Street
Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (866) 698-2507
Selmer Office
661 Mulberry Avenue
Selmer, TN 38375
Phone: (888) 397-4814
Tullahoma Office
717 Kings Lane
Tullahoma, TN 37388
Phone: (866) 635-0647
Union City Office
1800 Old Troy Road
Union City, TN 38261
Phone: (877) 401-5904
The State of Tennessee offers rehabilitation services through the DHS's Division of Rehabilitative Services (DRS). DRS provides vocational rehabilitation, access to assistive technology, and myriad other resources to help disabled residents of Tennessee return to work. For more information, see the DRS website.
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