Saturday, September 23, 2006



Can you visit the Disability Examiner working on your social security disability or SSI case ?

My answer to this question may not be the correct answer in every state. I do know that, in north carolina, this has happened before on a very limited basis (and whether it happens at all currently, I don't know).

However, "if" a claimant can find the location of the DDS facility in their state (in north carolina, the P.O. Box was made available, but not generally the physical address), it won't be, in any sense, like visiting a social security office.

Social security offices are setup to actually receive visitors, i.e. applicants and people with issues that need to be addressed. This is not the case with Disability determination services (which may be known as the bureau of disability determination or the disability determination unit in your own state).

In short, DDS offices and disability examiners do not want visitors, simply because examiners--

A. do not directly receive applications or appeals from claimants (this is the social security office's job).

B. examiners do not handle payment issues or answer basic eligibility questions (the job of the social security office).

C. examiners are busy reading medical records all day long.

What happens when a claimant actually finds a DDS office and shows up? They get only as far as the security desk. If the claimant has something to deliver to the examiner, such as records, this may be delivered to the examiner, or the front desk may ring the examiner and advise them that they have a visitor.

However, in no instances will a claimant be allowed to actually proceed into the building (to an examiner's unit, for instance), mainly due to security concerns.



Return to the Social Security Disability SSI Benefits Blog




Other Posts

How to get disability
If you are turned down and denied for disability
SSI Appeal