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Voucher CompassSSI, SSDI and Social Security offices · by Green Tips 1

Independent guide, not a government agency

Independent guide · not the SSA

SSDI · North Carolina

SSDI in North Carolina: disability decisions, hearings and beneficiaries

275,659 disabled workers in North Carolina got SSDI in December 2025. Here is how the state's disability agency decided claims in the last 12 months, the hearing offices for appeals and the numbers by county.

275,659disabled workers getting SSDI (Dec 2025)
37.8%initial claims allowed, Aug 2025–Jul 2026
4hearing offices in the state
Offices in North CarolinaAddress, phone and hours SSDI back payEstimate the past-due months My payment dateBy birth date

Disability decisions in North Carolina

A state agency, the Disability Determination Services (DDS), makes the medical decision on SSDI and SSI disability claims for SSA. In the 12 months from August 2025 to July 2026, the North Carolina DDS made 75,468 initial decisions and allowed 37.8% of them, 1.5 points above the all-state figure of 36.3%.

37.8%initial claims allowed (12 months)
15.0%reconsiderations allowed
27,966initial claims pending, end of July 2026

Initial allowance rate by month (%)

  1. Aug39
  2. Sep38
  3. Oct38
  4. Nov40
  5. Dec39
  6. Jan38
  7. Feb38
  8. Mar38
  9. Apr36
  10. May36
  11. Jun37
  12. Jul37
  • SSDI-only initial claims allowed38.2%
  • SSI-only initial claims allowed45.1%
  • New initial claims received (12 months)76,920
  • Reconsiderations pending, end of July 20267,061

An allowance rate is a share of past decisions, not a prediction for any one claim.

Hearing offices in North Carolina

If reconsideration is denied, the next step is a hearing with an administrative law judge. North Carolina has 4 hearing offices in SSA's data.

Disabled workers by county

  • Mecklenburg16,250
  • Wake14,675
  • Guilford12,540
  • Cumberland11,035
  • Forsyth9,830
  • Gaston6,935
  • Buncombe6,220
  • Johnston5,850
  • Davidson5,710
  • Pitt5,465
All 100 counties
CountyAll beneficiariesDisabled workers
Alamance39,9154,810
Alexander9,9901,280
Alleghany3,915405
Anson6,2201,025
Ashe8,995990
Avery4,800405
Beaufort15,7851,750
Bertie6,095985
Bladen9,1351,435
Brunswick67,7054,575
Buncombe67,2456,220
Burke23,9503,180
Cabarrus41,2854,705
Caldwell22,0603,045
Camden2,640235
Carteret22,9951,980
Caswell6,785990
Catawba43,0705,040
Chatham23,4351,300
Cherokee11,7801,220
Chowan4,730475
Clay5,015450
Cleveland27,4854,120
Columbus15,0152,425
Craven29,3153,040
Cumberland66,09011,035
Currituck7,335640
Dare11,260630
Davidson43,9505,710
Davie12,4451,350
Duplin12,6101,635
Durham54,8905,315
Edgecombe13,8702,190
Forsyth84,7159,830
Franklin16,5751,960
Gaston52,2906,935
Gates3,005410
Graham2,450330
Granville14,5201,825
Greene4,220590
Guilford110,87512,540
Halifax15,6002,405
Harnett26,8154,070
Haywood20,3502,230
Henderson37,3952,865
Hertford6,085885
Hoke9,8751,875
Hyde1,280125
Iredell43,1204,760
Jackson9,790995
Johnston45,1605,850
Jones2,870375
Lee15,3251,875
Lenoir16,3402,375
Lincoln22,4902,340
Macon13,4201,140
Madison6,545830
Martin7,1601,045
McDowell13,1902,060
Mecklenburg166,10516,250
Mitchell4,875650
Montgomery6,885875
Moore30,5502,360
Nash25,5403,435
New Hanover55,0704,835
Northampton6,035825
Onslow36,0105,285
Orange26,1351,840
Pamlico4,875395
Pasquotank10,4001,305
Pender16,4401,880
Perquimans4,605465
Person11,1101,490
Pitt36,0005,465
Polk7,470540
Randolph36,9204,905
Richmond11,7452,170
Robeson29,4705,155
Rockingham26,9954,100
Rowan36,4905,010
Rutherford19,1102,590
Sampson14,7002,040
Scotland9,4451,690
Stanly16,8302,120
Stokes13,9851,985
Surry19,5202,980
Swain4,595595
Transylvania10,865860
Tyrrell945105
Union43,1353,690
Vance11,7351,840
Wake180,57014,675
Warren5,160670
Washington3,795475
Watauga10,625740
Wayne27,9753,960
Wilkes20,7703,030
Wilson22,2653,110
Yadkin10,2401,460
Yancey6,270700

December 2025. SSA rounds county counts to the nearest 5. In North Carolina, SSA paid disabled workers $451.9 million that month.

2027 amounts

$1,029SSI federal maximum per month in 2027, one person ($994 in 2026)
$1,544SSI federal maximum for a couple in 2027
3.6%Cost-of-living raise for 2027 (COLA)
$1,770SSDI work limit (SGA) per month in 2027, not blind
  • Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026SSI payment for December 2026
  • Nov. 10, 2026 · Nov. 18, 2026 · Nov. 25, 2026SSDI in November 2026, by birth date (1st–10th, 11th–20th, 21st–31st)

More for North Carolina

SSI in North Carolina: state supplement and recipients
Denied? Appeal stepsDeadlines and levelsWorking on SSDISGA and trial work checkSSI or SSDI?Side by side

Questions people ask

How many SSDI claims are allowed in North Carolina?

In the 12 months through July 2026, the North Carolina DDS allowed 37.8% of initial disability decisions and 15.0% of reconsiderations.

How many people get SSDI in North Carolina?

SSA counted 275,659 disabled workers getting benefits in North Carolina in December 2025, plus 35,708 children and 2,671 spouses of disabled workers.

How much is SSDI?

It depends on your work record. SSA's estimate for all disabled workers is an average of $1,701 a month after the 2027 raise ($1,642 before it).

Where do I apply for SSDI in North Carolina?

With SSA: online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213 or at one of the 36 Social Security offices in North Carolina.

Independent guide · not the SSA. Green Tips 1 US is a private guide. We are not the Social Security Administration, we are not part of it, and we do not take applications. We are not a law firm and do not refer cases to lawyers.

Sources: SSA State Agency Monthly Workload Data (SSA-SA-MOWL.csv), August 2025 to July 2026; SSA, OASDI Beneficiaries by State and County, December 2025 (oasdi_sc25); SSA Office of Hearings Operations: hearing office locator file, average wait until hearing (Aug 2026), average processing time and ALJ dispositions (12 months through Jul 31, 2026); SSA 2027 COLA fact sheet; SSA, Disability Determination Process (ssa.gov/disability/determination.htm). Official site, typed by hand: ssa.gov. Read in October 2026; data dates as noted.