FILING FOR DISABILITY IN TEXAS - RESOURCE LINKS

Resource links for filing a disability application in the state of Texas

If you considering filing for disability benefits through either the title II SSDI (Social Security Disability) or title 16 SSI (Supplemental Security Income) program, both of which are administered through the Social Security Administration, then you should know that these programs are nationally standardized. Meaning that it does not matter if you file in the state of Texas or in any other state. The process is the same throughout the nation.

The only substantial difference that currently exists between certain states, as regards the disability process, is the fact that there are 10 states (part of a prototype experiment that was started a decade ago and which has not been adopted throughout the nation) in which a person who has been denied on a disability application can immediately file a request for a disability hearing as their first appeal. Texas is not one of those states. In Texas, a person who has been denied may request a reconsideration of their denied claim. A small percentage of those reconsideration claims, about 12 percent, are approved. If the reconsideration appeal in Texas is denied, then the next step would be to request a hearing before a judge.

Common questions about filing for disability in Texas

Advice tips to win and get approved for disability in Texas

How does the SSI or Social Security Disability process work in Texas?

What are the disability requirements in Texas?

How long does it take to get a disability hearing in Texas?

What are the rates of approval for Texas disability claims?

How long does a disability claim take in Texas?

Permanent Disability Benefits in Texas

Applying for Disability - Filing for benefits in Texas

The disability process in Texas

In Texas, like every other state, the process typically begins with contacting a local SSA office to get the claim started. Potential claimants can utilize the SSA online process, but many, perhaps most, will find it more beneficial to contact a local office. A claim interview can be scheduled to be done in person at the Social Security office, or it can done over the phone. In either situation, though, it allows for questions to be asked and answered which is not something the online process allows for.

After a claim is taken, it is sent to Texas DDS, or disability determination services. At the Texas DDS, it is assigned to a disability examiner who will use the information on the disability report form, completed during the application process, to request records from each source of medical treatment seen by the claimant.

The records received from medical treatment sources will form the principal basis for the decision that is ultimately made by the examiner. It is not the only information generally used since that decision may (if the case is not adjudicated and approved on a listing) also rely on the information regarding a person's work history if they are an adult, or school records if they are a child applicant.

When disability claim decisions are not mad solely on the basis of medical evidence, as is the case with a claim satisfying a listing, and are made based on medical evidence and work information, the decision is referrred to as a medical vocational allowance.

The following links apply to the filing of a disability claim in Texas.