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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
DES MOINES
Region 07Rank #27 of 160
Avg processing
237days
-27 vs national
Processing time
237
7.9 months
Hearing wait
6.5
months (current)
Cases pending
2,282
FY receipts
2,504
FY dispositions
2,016
Active judges
8
Video hearings
—
Avg approval rate
52.0%
-5.8 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.24
Growing
Rank
#27
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 7 judges
36%
83%
0%Median 54.6%100%
At DES MOINES, approval rates range from 36.1% (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 (54.6%), not the best case.
Judges at DES MOINES (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, Henry | 82.9% | 70 | 58 | 12 | |
| Gordon, Matthew | 65.7% | 300 | 197 | 103 | |
| Priester, John | 58.3% | 348 | 203 | 145 | |
| Larner, Michael | 54.6% | 273 | 149 | 124 | |
| Mills III, John P | 53.3% | 120 | 64 | 56 | |
| Fields, Kim | 37.7% | 334 | 126 | 208 | |
| Schmidt, Erin T. | 36.1% | 277 | 100 | 177 | |
| Kidd, Michael S. | 0.0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |