Address, phone & hours
Your local SSA service center
As of December 2024, the Durham office supports 10,220 disabled-worker beneficiaries, which accounts for 10% of the total local caseload. The office provides service across 31 ZIP codes, with ZIP 27703 alone serving 1,190 SSDI recipients. While the SSDI share here is typical compared to the national median of 11%, the office manages a significant volume of monthly benefits totaling $215 million. This office serves 5% of the total beneficiaries in North Carolina.
You can visit the Durham office to file an initial SSDI application, drop off required medical documentation, verify your identity, or set up direct deposit. This office does not make final disability determinations, which are handled by the state DDS. Additionally, any necessary hearings are conducted by a separate Office of Hearings Operations. While you may be able to handle some tasks online, in-person visits are necessary for specific document verification.
Who this office serves
Beneficiaries in this service area receive an estimated $214,813k in Social Security benefits each month.
Before you visit
To prepare for your appointment at the Durham office, bring a government-issued photo ID and a detailed 15-year work history. You should also provide a list of all treating physicians with their contact information, recent medical records, and a current list of your medications. If you have received any prior denial notices, bring those documents as well. Appointments typically last between 45 and 90 minutes, so plan your arrival accordingly.
Avoid common delays by ensuring your work history is complete and accurate for the past 15 years. Many applicants fail to include recent medical records or neglect to mention conditions that impact your ability to work. Always read every form thoroughly before signing to prevent errors that could stall your application. Providing incomplete contact information for your doctors is another frequent mistake that slows down the evidence-gathering process.
Should you bring an attorney?
The application stage is the foundation of your entire disability case. Most applicants who apply without legal guidance face denials due to missing evidence or procedural errors that are difficult to fix on appeal. An attorney can help you organize your medical records and ensure your application accurately reflects your limitations. Request a free case review to understand how to strengthen your claim before you visit the Durham office.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
If your SSDI claim moves to a hearing
About two-thirds of initial SSDI applications nationwide are denied. If yours is, your case moves to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. SSA routes appeals from the Durham field office to the hearing office below, per SSA's published service areas. The Durham field office holds your file at every appeal stage, but the substantive decisions happen further up the chain.
Frequently asked questions
While you can visit the Durham office for certain services, scheduling an appointment is recommended to ensure you receive timely assistance. You can contact this office using the phone button below to confirm if your specific needs require an appointment or if you can be seen as a walk-in.
Yes, you can file your initial SSDI application online through the SSA website. However, visiting the Durham office in person is often necessary for verifying identity documents or submitting physical copies of medical records that cannot be uploaded digitally.
You should bring your government-issued photo ID, a 15-year work history, a list of all current medications, and contact information for your healthcare providers. Bringing complete and organized medical records to the Durham office helps the staff process your application more efficiently.
An appointment at the Durham office typically lasts between 45 and 90 minutes. The duration depends on the complexity of your application and the number of documents you need to submit or verify.
