According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 25.6% of Texas residents have a disability, which equals the national average. The CDC reports that 13.3% of Texans have mobility issues, while 4.3% have difficulty with self-care.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are available for qualifying Texas residents. However, this is a federal disability service from the Social Security Administration (SSA), unlike state-administered programs like Texas Medicaid and Texas unemployment benefits.
You must have worked and paid into the Social Security system for a certain period to qualify.
This post will discuss the qualification criteria and how to apply for these Texas Social Services. Read on to learn about Social Security local to Texas.
How Do I Qualify for Social Security Benefits in Texas
SSDI is a federal program though it is managed at the state level. In Texas, the SSA operates SSDI benefits through the Disability Determination Services (DDS), which serves under the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
To qualify for benefits in Texas, you must meet a few eligibility guidelines.
First, your medical condition must meet the SSA definition of a disability. As the law provides, disability is the incapacity to do any substantial gainful activity.
To be eligible for benefits, you must have a physical or mental impairment projected to last at least 12 months or lead to death.
Second, you must pay into the Social Security system through taxes to qualify for SSDI. This is part of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax for employees.
Employed individuals pay half the tax while their employer pays the other half. Self-employed individuals pay their FICA tax in full.
Lastly, you must earn enough work credits to qualify for SSDI benefits. Most disabled adults need 40 credits to be eligible for SSDI, half earned within the last ten years of employment.
How Do I Apply for Social Security Benefits in Texas?
There are three ways of filing for Social Security disability benefits, depending on where you stay. You can apply online at the SSA website. You can also apply by calling the SSA national toll at (800) 772-1213.
Those who prefer in-person applications can visit Texas Social Security offices to apply. There are 66 Texas SSA field offices; look at the list below to find one near you.
Note that it takes several weeks for a determination, and SSDI payments will not start being released until five months after your approval for benefits.
Before applying for disability benefits, have your Texas Social Security number and detailed information regarding your disability.
You can download a Disability Starter Kit to familiarize yourself with the application process and learn how to complete the application correctly.
What Happens After I Apply for Social Security Benefits in Texas?
As mentioned earlier, the DDS is responsible for doing all disability determinations. So, when you apply for benefits, the SSA will send your application to the DDS for a detailed review.
To start, a disability examiner at the DDS will look at your medical records to confirm that you meet the medical eligibility. They may arrange for a consultative examination at the expense of the DDS if your medical records are insufficient.
The disability examiner will also assess the amount of work your disability can allow you to do. The examiner may seek the assistance of a vocational expert, who will look at your work history and medical records to tell the kind of jobs that you can do with the disabling condition.
Once everything has been reviewed, your claim will be sent back to the SSA. You will receive formal communication from the SSA informing you whether you are eligible for benefits.
If approved for benefits, you will start receiving your payments after five months. If your application is denied, you will have a chance to appeal the decision.
Appealing a Denial for Social Security Benefits in Texas
In Texas, 33% of disability applicants are approved after the initial application, below the 35% national average. That means most disability applicants in Texas must go through the appeals process to be approved for benefits.
Usually, an applicant has 60 days from the date they receive a denial notice to file an appeal. You can file an appeal online or have a Social Security disability attorney do it for you.
The first step of the appeals process is to request a reconsideration. If your request is approved, the DDS will assign a new disability examiner to review the initial decision.
If your reconsideration results in denial, you can request a hearing before an administrative law judge. The hearing will be held at your nearest Texas Social Security Administration Office of Hearing operations.
Most disability appeals are approved at the hearing. If yours is denied, you can move to the Appeals Council for another review of your case. The council will review the other three junior decisions to check for errors in decision-making.
If the Appeals Council does not yield positive results, you can file a lawsuit at the federal court. This is the last level of the appeals process, and any decisions made here are final.
Texas SSDI Hearing Wait Times & Average Approval Rate
Most people who apply for disability benefits must go through at least two stages of appeals before being approved for benefits. These are the reconsideration and the disability hearing stages.
At the first level of appeal, the reconsideration, Texas approves 13% of disability claims. At the disability hearing level, your chances of winning benefits in Texas are better than the national average.
Texas has an average approval rate of 48% of applications at the hearing, while the national average is 48%. Similarly, you will wait 14 months for a hearing in Texas, compared to the national average of 18 months.
Note that your chances of winning increase when represented by a disability lawyer. So, don’t go to the hearing alone.
How Do I Contact the Texas Social Security Office Near Me?
The SSA has 66 Social Security Field offices serving Texas residents’ Social Security needs. Here is a list of all field offices that can help you with SSDI concerns.
Depending on where you stay, locate your local field office near you and call or visit to get the help you need.
SSA Field Office |
Physical Address |
Phone Number |
| Texarkana SSA Office | 5735 Summerhill Rd. Texarkana, TX 75503 |
(866) 931-7675 |
| Austin SSA Office | 1029 Camino La Costa Austin, TX 78752 |
(866) 627-6991 |
| Dallas North SSA Office | 10824 N Central Expwy Dallas, TX 75231 |
(866) 572-2492 |
| San Antonio Central | 402 Isom Rd San Antonio, TX 78216 |
(866) 571-0718 |
| Houston Southwest SSA Office | 10703 Stancliff Rd Houston, TX 77099 |
(866) 592-1608 |
| El Paso SSA Office | 11111 Gateway W Blvd El Paso, TX 79935 |
(866) 563-9310 |
| Beaumont SSA Office | 8455 Dishman Rd Suite A Beaumont, TX 77713 |
(866) 613-2864 |
| Tyler SSA Office | 5509 Donnybrook Ave Tyler, TX 75703 |
(877) 319-5707 |
| Amarillo SSA Office | 4750 Canyon Dr Amarillo, TX 79109 |
(877) 803-6318 |
| Fort Worth SSA Office | 819 Taylor St Rm 1-A-01 Federal Bldg Fort Worth, TX 76102 |
(866) 704-4858 |
| San Angelo SSA Office | 2851 Southwest Blvd San Angelo, TX 76904 |
(877) 840-5742 |
| Wichita Falls SSA Office | 4314 Wendover St Wichita Falls, TX 76309 |
(866) 815-9605 |
| Brownsville SSA Office | 3115 Central Blvd Brownsville, TX 78520 |
(866) 964-6486 |
| Corpus Christi SSA Office | 3801 S Port Ave Corpus Christi, TX 78415 |
(866) 613-2859 |
| Waco SSA Office | 1700 Lake Air Dr Ste A Waco, TX 76710 |
(866) 964-6304 |
| Lubbock SSA Office | 5825 16Th Street Lubbock, TX 79416 |
(866) 467-0460 |
| League City | 2835 Gulf Frwy South League City, TX 77573 |
(866) 299-3254 |
| Abilene SSA Office | 1202 E South 11Th St Abilene, TX 79602 |
(877) 607-9525 |
| Port Arthur SSA Office | 8208 9Th Ave Port Arthur, TX 77642 |
(866) 964-1720 |
| Paris SSA Office | 2805 Pine Mill Road Paris, TX 75460 |
(888) 619-4772 |
| Big Spring SSA Office | 2006 East Fm 700 Big Spring, TX 79720 |
(888) 748-2018 |
| Lufkin SSA Office | 702 East Denman Lufkin, TX 75901 |
(877) 407-3442 |
| Odessa SSA Office | 2015 E 37Th St Odessa, TX 79762 |
(866) 404-1866 |
| Longview SSA Office | 611 Clinic Dr Longview, TX 75605 |
(888) 617-0455 |
| Bryan SSA Office | 2120 W Briargate Dr Bryan, TX 77802 |
(866) 568-9428 |
| Sherman SSA Office | 600 East Peyton Sherman, TX 75090 |
(877) 405-3521 |
| Temple SSA Office | 511 North Main Temple, TX 76501 |
(866) 593-1341 |
| Victoria SSA Office | 8208 Ne Zac Lentz Pkwy Victoria, TX 77904 |
(877) 229-3536 |
| Laredo SSA Office | 215 Calle Del Norte Laredo, TX 78041 |
(866) 704-4857 |
| McAllen SSA Office | 3004 N McColl Rd McAllen, TX 78501 |
(855) 886-9628 |
| Brownwood SSA Office | 300 Early Blvd Space 28 Heartland Mal Early, TX 76802 |
(877) 405-3630 |
| Corsicana SSA Office | 221 S 45Th St Corsicana, TX 75110 |
(888) 456-9551 |
| Eagle Pass SSA Office | 406 South Texas Drive Eagle Pass, TX 78852 |
(888) 862-4864 |
| Greenville SSA Office | 2717 Terrell Road Greenville, TX 75402 |
(888) 306-3534 |
| Palestine SSA Office | 215 Medical Drive Palestine, TX 75801 |
(866) 495-0089 |
| Pampa SSA Office | 2333 N Hobart St Pampa, TX 79065 |
(877) 897-0603 |
| Pasadena SSA Office | 3300 Watters Road Pasadena, TX 77504 |
(866) 563-4603 |
| Dallas Fair Park SSA Office | 2530 S Malcolm X Blvd Dallas, TX 75215 |
(888) 717-1529 |
| San Antonio NW SSA Office | 411 Richland Hills Dr San Antonio, TX 78245 |
(877) 697-4799 |
| Dallas Oak Cliff SSA Office | 2475 Cliff Creek Dallas, TX 75237 |
(866) 931-4958 |
| Houston Northwest SSA Office | 16200 Dillard Dr Houston, TX 77040 |
(866) 331-3277 |
| Houston Northeast SSA Office | 5414 Aldine Mail Rd Houston, TX 77039 |
(866) 931-2729 |
| Houston Southeast SSA Office | 8989 Lakes At 610 Dr Houston, TX 77054 |
(866) 404-1861 |
| Mid Cities SSA Office | 2010 N State Hwy 360 Grand Prairie, TX 75050 |
(855) 722-3499 |
| Alice SSA Office | 1000 Medical Ctr Blvd Alice, TX 78332 |
(888) 388-8744 |
| Harlingen SSA Office | 2005 W Jefferson Ave Harlingen, TX 78550 |
(866) 931-7075 |
| San Antonio South SSA Office | 3438 E Southcross Blvd San Antonio, TX 78223 |
(866) 964-7432 |
| San Antonio Downtown SSA Office | 727 E Cesar Chavez Rm 701 7th Floor San Antonio, TX 78206 |
(877) 405-0482 |
| Austin South SSA Office | 5508 Hwy 290 West Bldg B Austin, TX 78735 |
(855) 221-3523 |
| Mission SSA Office | 1013 Business Park Dr Mission, TX 78572 |
(855) 245-0647 |
| Angleton SSA Office | 2921 N Valderas St Angleton, TX 77515 |
(866) 338-2940 |
| Denton SSA Office | 2201 Colorado Blvd Denton, TX 76205 |
(888) 717-1530 |
| Conroe SSA Office | 600 Sgt Ed Holcomb Blv Conroe, TX 77304 |
(866) 614-0032 |
| Kerrville SSA Office | 1060 Guadalupe St Kerrville, TX 78028 |
(877) 895-0043 |
| McKinney SSA Office | 3250 Craig Dr McKinney, TX 75070 |
(866) 931-2731 |
| Cleburne SSA Office | 1711 W. Henderson Cleburne, TX 76033 |
(866) 227-1616 |
| Brenham SSA Office | 2901 Victory Ln Brenham, TX 77833 |
(855) 287-4792 |
| Marshall SSA Office | 1509 Sedberry St Marshall, TX 75670 |
(800) 467-5313 |
| Seguin SSA Office | 927 S St Hwy 123 Byp Seguin, TX 78155 |
(877) 445-0831 |
| Waxahachie SSA Office | 100 Dean Box Drive Waxahachie, TX 75165 |
(866) 563-1912 |
| Houston Downtown SSA Office | 8989 Lakes At 610 Dr Area Support Unit Houston, TX 77054 |
(866) 593-2846 |
| El Paso Downtown SSA Office | 600 Texas Ave El Paso, TX 79901 |
(866) 964-6229 |
| Fort Worth South SSA Office | 2901 Altamesa Blvd Fort Worth, TX 76133 |
(866) 613-2745 |
| San Marcos SSA Office | 900 Bugg Lane Suite 200 San Marcos, TX 78666 |
(866) 388-8515 |
| Georgetown SSA Office | Suite 150 3010 Williams Dr Georgetown, TX 78628 |
(877) 531-4699 |
| Dallas Pleasant Grove SSA Office | 2300 Dunson Dr Balch Springs, TX 75180 |
(855) 531-1683 |
Get Legal Help Applying for Social Security Benefits in Texas
SSDI applications involve a complex and time-consuming process. Doing it alone can be stressful, especially when dealing with a disabling condition.
An experienced Texas Social Security disability lawyer can help you through the application process and increase your chances of being approved for benefits.
A lawyer can also help you through the appeals process if your application is denied at the initial determination. Contact us today to speak to a local Texas SSDI lawyer.
