How do you get disability in Pennsylvania?

The Office of Disability Determination, also known as the Bureau of Disability Determination (BDD), does the medical review for both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Calls or letters asking for your medical information come under the BDD name.

Who to call about SSDI or SSI

Your local SSA Field Office answers questions about disability benefits, eligibility, and how to apply. It also gives updates on an application or awarded benefits, and helps with appealing a disability decision. Reach it toll-free at 1-800-772-1213, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or through the TTY line at 1-800-325-0778 if you are hearing impaired.

Call BDD at 1-855-302-6143, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., if any of these apply:

• BDD asked you for medical information
• You appealed and got a call or letter about a disability hearing
• Your local SSA office says your claim is "pending at the DDS"

Who qualifies for SSDI and SSI

SSDI rests on your work record: L&I's disability page says you must have a significant work history and have paid Social Security taxes. SSI is need-based instead, for people who are elderly, blind, or otherwise disabled and have limited income and resources. It does not depend on work history or Social Security tax contributions. For either program, BDD's review checks whether you meet the medical rules for disability.

Short-term disability insurance

L&I says short-term disability insurance must be purchased from a private company. BDD handles only SSA disability claims in Pennsylvania, not short-term disability claims.

If illness or injury interrupts your UC claim

To qualify for unemployment compensation (UC), you must be able to work and available for suitable work, and you certify your eligibility separately for each week you claim. If you stopped filing because you were ill, hospitalized, or otherwise unable to work, reopen your claim as soon as you are able and available for work again, following L&I's steps to reopen a UC claim.

The UC Service Center decides UC eligibility and the SSA decides disability claims, so ask each agency about its own program. For a question about a week you could not work, call the UC Service Center at 888-313-7284.

Disability quits and work injuries under UC

Pennsylvania's UC Law bars benefits after a quit unless you had a cause of a necessitous and compelling nature. If your employer is able to provide other suitable work, quitting because of a disability does not count as that kind of cause. The guide to who qualifies for unemployment covers the other rules for quitting and firing.

A work-related injury that is compensable under the Workers' Compensation Act can also leave you short of UC's wage and credit week requirements. In that case you can ask for an alternate base year, made up of the 4 completed calendar quarters just before the injury. To get it, file a timely appeal from a Notice of Financial Determination that finds you ineligible, and ask the UC Service Center for a redetermination; the appeals guide covers appeal deadlines.

Finding a Social Security office

L&I's page on applying for a disability determination says your local Social Security office can help you apply, and it links to the SSA Office Locator for finding that office. Enter your ZIP code there, and look under Social Security Office Information for the office's phone number.