Nhc St Louis Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Missouri · SSA Region 12
Approval Rate
42.9%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
11 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
335 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
871
awaiting hearing
ALJs
8
active judges
Nhc St Louis ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Suing | 100% | N/A | 100% | 3 | 3 |
| A. Benton | 85.7% | 14.3% | 71.4% | 7 | 8 |
| Amy Benton | 51.5% | 48.5% | 39.4% | 33 | 44 |
| Mattie Harvin Woode | 48.5% | 51.5% | 41.9% | 167 | 207 |
| Trina Mengesha Brown | 47.6% | 52.4% | 38.5% | 273 | 349 |
| Brian M. Steger | 46.6% | 53.4% | 32.7% | 324 | 395 |
| Kathryn Preston | 42% | 58% | 27.1% | 262 | 343 |
| Joseph R. Doyle | 33% | 67% | 30.5% | 318 | 387 |
Former Judges at Nhc St Louis
This judge has no recorded decisions at Nhc St Louis in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.
| Judge | Last Decisions Reported | Approval Rate | Total Decisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory White | January 2025 | 66.4% | 238 |
Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.
About the Nhc St Louis Social Security Hearing Office
Nhc St Louis is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Missouri. Operating within SSA Region 12, the office has 8 ALJs who preside over disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 42.9%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. A lower aggregate rate does not necessarily indicate stricter standards — it may reflect differences in case demographics, representation quality, or the types of conditions presented at hearings. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 33% to 100%, a 67-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 11 months, which is longer than the national average of 8.4 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 335 days. There are currently 871 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 109 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 47.7%. 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 Nhc St Louis Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Nhc St Louis, 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 11 months and 335 days average processing time, claimants at Nhc St Louis can expect a total timeline of roughly 22 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at Nhc St Louis have collectively issued 1,387 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 173 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 3 to 324 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Nhc St Louis Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Nhc St Louis?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 33% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 47.7%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Nhc St Louis?
How long do disability cases take at Nhc St Louis?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 22 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
What percentage of approvals at Nhc St Louis are fully favorable?
How does Nhc St Louis rank among other hearing offices in the state?
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