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State agency · Iowa Workforce Development

Iowa Disability Determination Services (DDS)

Disability claims in Iowa are decided by the Disability Determination Services Bureau, part of the Iowa Workforce Development. Phone for claimants: 800-532-1223. Main office: 535 SW 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-4535. The DDS decides your initial claim and your reconsideration; if both are denied, the next step is a hearing before a judge.

Contact the Iowa DDS

PurposePhone
General DDS line800-532-1223
Professional relations / consultative exams515-725-0702

Office locations

OfficeAddress
535 SW 7th Street535 SW 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-4535
515-725-0702

SSA publishes these DDS contacts for medical professionals and consultative examinations. If you have a claim in process, call the number printed on the letters the DDS sent you, or SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

What the DDS does in your claim

  1. Your Social Security field office takes the application and sends the medical part to the Iowa DDS.
  2. A disability examiner requests your records from the doctors and hospitals you listed.
  3. If the records are not enough, the DDS can schedule a consultative examination with an independent doctor, paid by the program. Missing it without a good reason can lead to a denial.
  4. A medical or psychological consultant reviews the file and the DDS issues the decision.
  5. If you are denied, you have 60 days to request reconsideration, a complete review by someone at the DDS who did not take part in the first decision.

After the DDS: hearing offices in Iowa

If reconsideration is also denied, you can request a hearing before an administrative law judge. These are the SSA hearing offices in Iowa:

Frequently asked questions

What is the phone number for Iowa Disability Determination Services?

Disability Determination Services Bureau: 800-532-1223 (General DDS line).

Where is the Iowa DDS office?

535 SW 7th Street: 535 SW 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-4535.

What does the DDS do?

The Disability Determination Services Bureau is the Iowa state agency that decides, for the Social Security Administration, whether you are medically disabled at the initial application and at reconsideration. It gathers your medical records and may schedule a consultative exam.

What if the DDS denies my claim?

You can ask for reconsideration within 60 days. If it is denied again, you can request a hearing before a judge at a hearing office in Iowa.