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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
DES MOINES
Avg processing
237days
-29 vs national
Processing time
237
7.9 months
Hearing wait
7.5
months (current)
Cases pending
2,332
FY receipts
2,769
FY dispositions
2,231
Active judges
8
Video hearings
—
Avg approval rate
52.5%
-5.2 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.24
Growing
Rank
#25
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 7 judges
36%
83%
0%Median 54.7%100%
At DES MOINES, approval rates range from 36.3% (Schmidt, Erin T.) to 82.9% (Hamilton, Henry) — a 47-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 (54.7%), not the best case.
Judges at DES MOINES (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, Henry | 82.9% | 70 | 58 | 12 | |
| Gordon, Matthew | 65.2% | 385 | 251 | 134 | |
| Priester, John | 58.9% | 421 | 248 | 173 | |
| Larner, Michael | 54.7% | 333 | 182 | 151 | |
| Mills III, John P | 52.2% | 157 | 82 | 75 | |
| Fields, Kim | 41.2% | 410 | 169 | 241 | |
| Schmidt, Erin T. | 36.3% | 347 | 126 | 221 | |
| Kidd, Michael S. | 0.0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |