Des Moines Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Iowa · SSA Region 07
Approval Rate
54.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
239 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,696
awaiting hearing
ALJs
9
active judges
Des Moines ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Hamilton | 79.6% | 20.4% | 61.5% | 397 | 465 |
| Tom Andrews | 74.5% | 25.5% | 68.6% | 51 | 55 |
| Matthew J Gordon | 67.9% | 32.1% | 57.4% | 380 | 440 |
| John E Sandbothe | 61% | 39% | 55.9% | 59 | 64 |
| John Priester | 58.4% | 41.6% | 43.3% | 430 | 488 |
| Michael L Larner | 51% | 49% | 48.5% | 355 | 424 |
| John P Mills III | 50% | 50% | 39.2% | 102 | 112 |
| Erin T Schmidt | 34.1% | 65.9% | 24.8% | 355 | 410 |
| Kim A Fields | 33.6% | 66.4% | 22.2% | 396 | 469 |
About the Des Moines Social Security Hearing Office
The Des Moines hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Iowa. This office is in SSA Region 07 and currently has 9 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 54.9%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. This rate represents the aggregate of all judge decisions at the office and includes both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 33.6% to 79.6%, a 46-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 239 days. There are currently 1,696 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 188 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.8%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Des Moines Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Des Moines, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 6 months and 239 days average processing time, claimants at Des Moines can expect a total timeline of roughly 14 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.
Judges at Des Moines have collectively issued 2,525 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 281 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 51 to 430 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Des Moines Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Des Moines?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 33.6% to 79.6%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.8%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Des Moines?
What is the average case processing time at Des Moines?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 14 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.