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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
DAYTON
Avg processing
282days
+16 vs national
Processing time
282
9.4 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,729
FY receipts
1,743
FY dispositions
1,443
Active judges
5
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
67.6%
+9.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.21
Growing
Rank
#126
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
50%
80%
0%Median 73.1%100%
At DAYTON, approval rates range from 50.5% (Kenyon, Gregory) to 80.3% (Southern, Heidi) — a 30-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (73.1%), not the best case.
Judges at DAYTON (5)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern, Heidi | 80.3% | 345 | 277 | 68 | |
| Barnes, Kevin | 76.8% | 370 | 284 | 86 | |
| Hockensmith, Mark | 73.1% | 201 | 147 | 54 | |
| Kerber, Carrie | 57.8% | 365 | 211 | 154 | |
| Kenyon, Gregory | 50.5% | 307 | 155 | 152 |