Disability Determination Services (DDS) are the state agencies that make initial and reconsideration determinations for Social Security disability and SSI claims. That is where the medical records are ordered, and the claim is evaluated by a disability adjudicator.
I wrote about Maine DDS delays back in March. We are now experiencing continuing delays in Staging, which occurs after an initial claim or Reconsideration request has been processed by the field office and transmitted to DDS. Staging is the period of time that the claim is in limbo, pending at DDS awaiting the assignment of a disability adjudicator to analyze the claim.
The Maine DDS is operating at about half staff. I am told they are trying to hire new disability adjudicators, but it takes months to train a new person at that job. So far, they do not appear to be keeping up with attrition.
Currently in Maine, initial claims can be in Staging for 7 months, but that wait seems to be improving, because they are prioritizing initial claims. Recently denied claims that are appealed are being sent out-of-state, where there is available capacity, for Reconsideration. That helps. But older claims that were already waiting at the Reconsideration stage are taking 11-12 months to be assigned. That is way too long.
This is not the fault of the individual disability adjudicators, who continue to do yeoman’s work. It is due to a critical scarcity of resources at DDS.