Disability Determination Services, commonly called DDS, are state agencies, funded by the United States Federal Government.^[1] Their purpose is to make disability findings for the Social Security Administration.

Applicants for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) file applications for disability benefits at local Social Security field offices.

If the application is accepted it is sent to the DDS in the state where the applicant lives to have a person's claim of disability assessed.

The claim is either approved or denied at the DDS for disability qualification. The claim is then returned to the originating SSA office to finish processing.

Contents 1 Methods used 1.1 Applicant's own statement 1.2 Medical records 1.3 Study of applicant's life 2 How the decision is made 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Methods used

The following methods are used in determining a disability:

[edit] Applicant's own statement

The applicant is requested to provide his/her own information on his/her disability. During the application process, it is requested that the applicant list all conditions that contribute to his/her disability, and how they prevent him/her from working.

In addition to this information being requested during the application process, the applicant is mailed a questionaire. The questionaire contains questions pertaining to the applicant's activity before and after s/he became disabled. The questions that are asked include what his/her daily activities are and how the disability has affected his/her ability to perform them. These include activities like dressing, bathing, grooming, food shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation.

While an applicant's own words alone are usually not sufficient to qualify him/her for approval, they can play quite a high role in a decision to approve or deny. Since the decision is based not on one's medical conditons alone, but on how they impact his/her ability to earn an income, it is necessary to ascertain such a relationship.

An issue in the use of the applicant's own statement is that the truthfulness can be questionable. While making a decision can be difficult in the absence of these statements, an applicant with expertise in the system, or who is able to obtain help from an expert may be able to qualify by use of the right words.

[edit] Medical records

The applicant's medical records are obtained from physicians involved in the current treatment of the applicant. The physician(s) provide information on the condition(s) for which the applicant is being treated, and how they impede the applicant's ability to work.

In many cases, DDS will send the applicant to one or more physicians for a medical examination, paid by DDS. This most often occurs in the absence of a physician listed by the applicant who can verify a disability stated by the appliant in the application. The examination will be used to verify the information provided by other sources, and to provide a more up-to-date record in making a determination.

An applicant seeing multiple physicians is more likely to be approved. In many cases, a single sympathetic physician will "write off" an applicant who is really able to work as being disabled. Additionally, many physicians have an interest in providing this assistance to uninsured patients, since the patient would then be able to receive Medicaid and provide the physican with increased income. Thereafter, examiners are more likely to approve an application if the applicant has seen more physicians.

[edit] Study of applicant's life

In some states, DDS will perform a covert examination of the applicant's life, in which the applicant will be observed, and those who know the applicant will be questioned. DDS will not send any agents into the applicant's private dwelling. But the examination will involve observation of the applicant from the public domain as permitted by law. The purpose is to corroborate that the applicant's statements reflect his/her real life activities.

For example, there are cases when one will file for disability, falsely claiming to be unable to engage in various forms of physical activity. The fraudulent applicant is then observed performing tasks outside of a work setting that require the same skills. Such information is then used to deny benefits.

The examiner and his/her representatives may also call or otherwise obtain statements from those known to the applicant. These persons may include relatives, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, co-workers, and teachers. These questions will be asked in a manner in which evidence may be corroborated.

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[edit] How the decision is made

The decision is made based on whether or not the applicant is able to perform work that s/he has done in the past or is trained to do, and is likely to be able to perform and find employment in given his/her disability. It is for this reason that two people with identical disabilities could have very differing outcomes in their applications.

Factors that are used in making the decision include:

• Known limitations caused by diagnosed medical conditions. These limitations must be documented by a physician. Many medical conditions can be debilitating in one person but not another. Almost all applications lacking a physician's documentation of a known condition (except with symptoms) are rejected.
• Symptoms of undiagnosed medical conditions documented by a physician. Like with diagnosed medical conditions, a physician must document how these are actually debilitating.
• Side effects and other limitations caused by treatment received due to medical condition(s). The need to spend a significant amount of time in one's life to continually receive care in lieu of employment can be a qualifying factor.
• Employment available to the applicant given the applicant's skills and openings in the region where the applicant lives. Two people medically in the same situation may have different outcomes living in different places. Additionally, the applicant's ability to travel by some method to/from a job (e.g. driving, using public transportation) is taken into account, and this may vary by region.

Contrary to what many think, simply "being disabled" by any definition does not alone qualify one to automatically be approved. While one who is able to walk, talk, and manage one's own life may be considered disabled if there is no suitable employment given his/her abilities, one with diminished mobility or mental capacity may not qualify if there is plentiful employment available to him/her with his/her abilities.

One or more diagnosed medical conditions may not automatically qualify an applicant, and the lack of one or more may not disqualify the applicant. In some cases, an applicant may qualify based on symptoms alone.

In determining a physical disability, common factors are the ability to sit, stand, lift, bend, and stoop. Mental disabilities are determined based on the ability to communicate with others, understand oral and/or written instructions from others, and to get along with others. One who is able to sit for prolonged periods of time but not stand, lift, bend, or stoop may be disqualified if s/he is able to perform some type of desk work, whereas one may qualify if s/he lacks such an ability given his/her intellectual capacity, education level, or previous work experience. Likewise, a person with limited mental capacity who has the ability to perform physical labor may not qualify as "disabled."

These skills are also used for applicants who have never worked and for whom the claim is they can never work.

[edit] See also

• Social Security (United States)
• Social Security Administration
• state government (United States)
• Disability fraud
• Work aversion disorder

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• List of disability determination services

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