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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
DES MOINES
Region 07Rank #25 of 160
Avg processing
237days
-29 vs national
Processing time
237
7.9 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,332
FY receipts
2,769
FY dispositions
2,231
Active judges
8
Video hearings
—
Avg approval rate
52.1%
-5.7 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 55.1%100%
At DES MOINES, approval rates range from 36.4% (Schmidt, Erin T.) to 82.9% (Hamilton, Henry) — a 46-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 (55.1%), not the best case.
Judges at DES MOINES (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, Henry | 82.9% | 70 | 58 | 12 | |
| Gordon, Matthew | 64.4% | 340 | 219 | 121 | |
| Priester, John | 57.3% | 377 | 216 | 161 | |
| Larner, Michael | 55.1% | 305 | 168 | 137 | |
| Mills III, John P | 50.8% | 132 | 67 | 65 | |
| Fields, Kim | 41.0% | 371 | 152 | 219 | |
| Schmidt, Erin T. | 36.4% | 305 | 111 | 194 | |
| Kidd, Michael S. | 0.0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |