Back to all offices
Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
HOUSTON WEST
Region 06Rank #59 of 160
Avg processing
249days
-15 vs national
Processing time
249
8.3 months
Hearing wait
7.5
months (current)
Cases pending
4,133
FY receipts
4,547
FY dispositions
2,764
Active judges
12
Video hearings
6%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
52.9%
-4.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.65
Growing
Rank
#59
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 11 judges
31%
84%
0%Median 51.5%100%
At HOUSTON WEST, approval rates range from 30.8% (Matthews, Kelly) to 83.9% (Strong, Helen F) — a 53-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 (51.5%), not the best case.
Judges at HOUSTON WEST (12)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong, Helen F | 83.9% | 180 | 151 | 29 | |
| Suing, Timothy | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | 5 | |
| Bach, Laura | 67.5% | 277 | 187 | 90 | |
| Burdette, Robert | 63.5% | 288 | 183 | 105 | |
| Wyatt, Kimberly O. | 58.0% | 100 | 58 | 42 | |
| Eason, Kimani R | 56.3% | 286 | 161 | 125 | |
| Gilbert, Richard A | 51.5% | 297 | 153 | 144 | |
| Mendola, Mark | 51.0% | 151 | 77 | 74 | |
| Boyle, Solomon | 48.7% | 197 | 96 | 101 | |
| Bennett, Vincent | 36.7% | 218 | 80 | 138 | |
| Beers, Caroline | 33.3% | 252 | 84 | 168 | |
| Matthews, Kelly | 30.8% | 211 | 65 | 146 |