All disability cases (prior to the hearing level where an Administrative Law Judge decides a claim) are evaluated and processed by Disability Examiners.

Disability examiners work at state agencies generally referred to by the acronym DDS, or Disability Determination Services.

Each state has at least one DDS facility, and some states that have a decentralized system have several DDS offices.

In the state of North Carolina, to use an example, DDS is a state-level agency assigned to the Depart of Vocational Rehabilitation, with a staff of several hundred disability examiners.

Though DDS examiners are not federal workers, they are charged with the task of determining medical eligibility for claimants attempting to win disability benefits offered by SSA.

Generally, to get the most information regarding the pending status of a disability claim, it is best to contact the DDS examiner assigned to a particular case. This can be done by a claimant directly or indirectly via a claimant's attorney or non attorney representative.

The number for DDS can generally be obtained from the local social security office.