I have written before about the backlog at the Maine Disability Determination Services, particularly at Reconsideration, since initial claims are given priority. Now, some Reconsideration claims are being routed to the Vermont DDS to help ease the work load.
These claims, if denied again at Reconsideration and appealed, will have hearings in Maine. But the…
I am always intrigued by the differing DDS allowance rates among the several states. Take a look at the SSA's table showing 2012 allowance rates by nation, region and state (link opens 3-page PDF).
Is your state above or below the national average? And has the rate changed since last year? Check out the 2011…
Here is the latest compilation of DDS Initial and Reconsideration Allowance Rates by Nation, Region and State (link opens 3-page PDF chart). The data is from FY 2011, and was published in the July 2012 Social Security Forum, a newsletter for NOSSCR members.
I am always intrigued by varying allowance rates among regions of…
I have made a concerted effort over the past few months to become more involved with clients making an initial application for Social Security disability benefits. It can be very important to have the assistance of an attorney with the initial claim, particularly for claimants age 55 and over.
I was notified yesterday…
With many Social Security administrative law judges allowing fewer claims at the hearing level, the initial application for disability benefits deserves much more attention. The allowance rates from the state DDS agencies are just as high as the allowance rate of some ALJs. That means that your initial application is more important than ever. The…
The phrase "lost in translation" aptly describes what often happens with a Social Security disability claim at Disability Determination Services (the state agency that makes disability determinations at the initial application and reconsideration levels).
DDS obtains your medical records and usually has them reviewed by a DDS in-house doctor (for physical impairments) and/or a psychologist…
The Reconsideration step of the Social Security disability claim process can be an unfriendly place.
On a national basis, 87% of claims are denied again at Reconsideration. That's 7 out of 8. I would say that my practice in Maine experiences a similar percentage of Reconsideration denials (In New Hampshire, however, disability claims go directly…
When you file a Social Security disability claim, it goes to a state agency for a medical determination. The agency is called Disability Determination Services (DDS) in Maine, but some other states have slightly different names for their agencies. In Maine, the first appeal of a denied disability claim also goes to DDS for Reconsideration.…
Every now and then I see a New Hampshire disability claim where the only physical RFC in the record is from a single decisionmaker. That means the RFC assessment from DDS was not completed by a doctor. At the hearing level, a single decisionmaker RFC should be placed with the jurisdictional documents in the "A"…
In a recent blog post, attorney Charles Hall asked Why The Differences Between DDS And ALJs? Mr. Hall's post discussed an Office of Inspector General report which addressed the issue of differing allowance rates among the ALJs and the various state DDS agencies. The OIG report is definitely worth a look (link opens a pdf).…
