How to Change Your Address With Social Security

If you've applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits, moving to another county or even to another state probably won't have much impact on your case. That said, you'll need to update your address with Social Security so the agency can contact you with important information about your claim. You can do this easily online or over the phone.

Because SSDI and SSI are federal programs, the process of applying for benefits is the same across the country. But Social Security always needs to know where you live in order to send you notices that are crucial in deciding your disability claim. The agency can deny your claim if it loses contact with you, so it's very important that you keep your address current.

How Do I Change My Address With Social Security?

If you've applied for SSDI and you live in the United States (or one of its territories), you can change your address in one of three ways:

• Log in to your "my SocialSecurity" online account and change your contact information under the section labelled "My Profile".
• Call the Social Security national hotline at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) and speak with a representative from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Visit your local Social Security office and change your address in person.

If you've applied for SSI or don't live in the United States or a U.S. territory, you'll need to call the national Social Security number or contact the closest Social Security field office. You won't be able to use the mySocialSecurity portal to change your address.

Depending on what stage of review your claim is on, you'll probably also want to report your change of address to your local Disability Determination Services (DDS) or the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) handling your case.

Changing Your Address If Your Social Security Claim Is at DDS

DDS is the state agency that helps the Social Security Administration handle initial applications and first appeals for claimants living in that state. Disability examiners at DDS determine if you qualify medically for Social Security benefits. If you move while your disability case is still pending in DDS, your claim might have to be moved to another DDS office.

If you move within the same state, your claim will probably stay at the same DDS office, and DDS will just change your address on file. (Most states have more than one DDS location.)

If you move out of state, Social Security will notify DDS that your claim must be transferred to the DDS agency in your new state of residence. But unlike social services programs administered at the local level, such as food stamps, when you've applied for Social Security benefits, you don't need to set up a new case file in your new county or state of residence.

Changing Your Address If You're Waiting for a Hearing

Disability hearings—the second level of appeal—are held by federal administrative law judges who work in one of the hundreds of Social Security OHOs throughout the country. OHOs sometimes cover claims arising from DDS offices across several states, but the same geographic area.

If you move within the same state, you'll likely have your hearing at the same OHO. But if you move to a different state, the hearing could be delayed. That's because when you move to a new state, you lose your place in line in your old state and go to the back of the line in your new state of residence. You're expected to notify both the Social Security Administration and the OHO if you move while you're waiting on a hearing. (To find the contact information for your local OHO, you can use Social Security's office locator tool.)

Because disability hearings take so long to schedule, you might be reluctant to notify Social Security that you've moved states (and trigger a further delay). But there's a risk in not reporting your new address to Social Security or OHO—you might fail to receive important notices, like:

• the date, time, and manner of your hearing
• requests for medical documents, or
• when and where to attend a scheduled consultative medical exam.

If you're confident that all your mail will be forwarded to you promptly—and you don't mind travelling back to the original state for a CE or an in-person hearing—failing to notify Social Security doesn't usually have any real repercussions. However, some judges won't hear your case if they find out you don't actually live in the state anymore because, in their view, your claim is no longer under their jurisdiction. A judge might be tipped off to your move if OHO receives new medical records from a doctor in a different state and enters them into evidence.

How a Change of Address Can Affect Your SSI Disability Benefits If You Win

While SSI is a federal program, many states offer supplemental benefits to residents who are approved for SSI. So if you're approved for SSI disability benefits, moving to a new state might affect whether you qualify for SSI and how much you'll get, meaning your total monthly SSI payment may increase or decline, depending on which states you're moving between. For more information, see our article on SSI income limits and our state-specific disability pages for the various state supplement amounts.

Additional Procedural Information for Disability Applicants

There's a lot of paperwork that goes into a successful disability claim, and because it takes on average almost two years before you'll get a decision from a judge at the OHO (where your odds of winning are the highest), there's a lot of time to lose track of important forms or contact information. Below are some suggested articles that can help you deal with the bureaucracy involved in filing for disability benefits, whether through Social Security or another agency.

• Filing Social Security Disability Forms
• Checking the Status of a Social Security Disability Claim
• How to Get a Disabled Parking Permit
• Are Social Security Disability Benefits Taxable?
• Will My Student Loans Be Forgiven If I'm Found Disabled?
• How Workers' Compensation Benefits Offset Disability Payments

While you don't need a lawyer at any stage of the disability determination process, it's usually a good idea to hire one, especially if you need to appeal a denial. If you're interested in getting legal representation, check out our article on how to find a lawyer for some helpful search tips.