Louisiana Disability Benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance and SSI

If you live in Louisiana and you have a severe physical or medical condition that prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits, in the form of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). While SSDI and SSI are both federal programs administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), Louisiana has its own agency that decides whether you are disabled and its appeals process is different from that of other states.

Louisiana Disability Determination Services

Louisiana's Disability Determination Services (DDS) is a state-run agency that reviews your disability application and medical records to decide if you are disabled. DDS is required to use Social Security rules and procedures in making this decision.

After Social Security checks your application for basic SSDI or SSI eligibility, it forwards it to DDS. If you have questions about your case or its status, you can call DDS directly. There are three DDS offices in Louisiana; here is their contact information.

New Orleans DDS
3510 N. Causeway Blvd.
Suite 301
Metairie, LA 70002
800-256-2299

Baton Rouge DDS
5825 Florida Blvd.
Room 2110
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
800-256-2288

Shreveport DDS
2920 Knight St.
Suite 232
Shreveport, LA 71105
800-256-2266

Louisiana's Disability Appeals Process

After your application is denied and before you can request a hearing in front of a judge, you need to request that your application by considered by the Louisiana DDS. If the DDS denies your claim again, you request a hearing at the Office of Hearings Operations.

Office of Hearings Operations

The Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) (formerly known as the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, or ODAR) is the office that handles the disability hearings. There are four OHO offices in Louisiana. Here is their contact information.

New Orleans OHO
1515 Poydras St., Suite 800
New Orleans, LA 70112
888-297-2210

Metairie OHO
1 Galleria Blvd., Suite 2000
Metairie, LA 70001
877-870-6383

Alexandria OHO
3403 Government Street
Alexandria, LA 71302
877-748-9764

Shreveport OHO
401 Edwards St., Suite 700
Shreveport, LA 71101
866-690-1805

Amount of SSI in Louisiana

Some states pay extra money to their SSI recipients, on top of the federal payment of $771 each month. Louisiana, however, pays a "supplement" only to those who are living in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid, and the supplement is only $8 (and note that the federal payment for those in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid is only $30 per month).

Finding a Disability Lawyer in Louisiana

When you are appealing a denial of disability benefits, you should strongly consider hiring a lawyer. Even on appeal, most disability claimants (applicants) in Louisiana are denied benefits. You significantly increase your chances of winning if you hire an attorney who specializes in Social Security disability law. You can arrange a free consultation with a Louisiana disability lawyer here.