Anchorage Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration has contracted the Disabilities Determination Services (DDS) to assess medical eligibility for medical benefits for people living with disabilities.  The DDS offices are in Anchorage at Patty Trott, 619 East Ship Creek #30

Services

The DDS has professionals like physicians and disability specialists including psychologists who determine if a person living with disability is eligible for two main social security programs:

• Supplementary security income (SSI)
• Social security disability insurance (SSDI)

The DDS office anchorage process disability claims including:

• Initial applications
• On-going disability reviews to continually review those eligible
• Face to face disability informal hearings

Eligibility

To be considered for disability claims you must be have been unable to work for 12 months or more due to a physical or mental disability that can be medically proven. Other conditions that apply are:

• If there is partial or temporary disability that is recognized by another support program apart from SSI and SSDI
• There is a recognized doctor’s opinion that you are unable to work due to an impairment which has been shown through medical signs, symptoms and proven through laboratory tests
• All documentation is of medical impairment is complete according to DDS requirements for evaluation of disability severity, restrictions caused by the impairments and how long the impairment is expected to last.

How to Apply

An application can be done by one of these methods:

• Online on http://www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability/
• On the phone 1-800-772-1213
• At the office in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau

After Application

Application for SSI or SSDI can be made at your local social security office, or at the office in Anchorage. A social security official assesses if it meets the work credit criteria for SSDI or the income/asset criteria for SSI.  If it does the DDS then takes it for a medical determination of the disability.

The application is assigned to a disability specialist who compiles medical and non-medical evidence for your case. The disability specialist relies on medical experts like physicians for medical evidence.  The disability specialist takes the information from the medical experts and reviews it according to social security disability regulations.

If your application does not meet the regulations, a function by function assessment will be done. Other things considered include age, sex, and education and past work experience.

After processing the case is returned to your local social security office. If you were successful, the social security officer will tell how much support you qualified for and how you will be getting it. If you were not successful, the officer will explain why, and if there is a possibility to apply again.