In Michigan, the Disability Determination Service (DDS) makes the decision about whether a person is disabled. The medical aspect of the decision is made by a team including a lay person called a disability examiner and a medical consultant who is a medical professional such as an internal medicine physician or a psychiatrist.
The person who you are most likely to begin the process with is the person who takes your application at the local Social Security office (the field office), called the claims representative. The claims representative makes all administrative decisions regarding your eligibility such as adequate work history, citizenship, and financial eligibility.
Once you complete your application and it is processed by the field office, it is sent to the DDS and assigned to a disability examiner. This person sends out requests for medical records and most likely provides you with additional forms to fill out to find out more about your specific illness and your ability to function. Once the disability examiner has a complete picture of your capacity for work, their findings are summarized and a recommendation is made and sent to a medical consultant. The medical consultant reviews the information and provides an opinion as to the physical and/or mental limitations that limit your work acitivities. Upon receipt of the medical consultant's opinion, the disability examiner analyzes your past work to see if you are capable of working.
Each claim is determined on a case by case basis. This makes sense because no two people are the same. There are three common elements to every decision regarding eligibility: medical evidence, nonmedical evidence, and vocational (work history) evidence.
Contact Social Security Disability lawyer, Renee C. Walsh