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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
State Profile
Alabama
AL · Region ATL
DDS approval rate
35.4%
-4.4 pts vs national
DDS approval rate
35.4%
National: 39.8%
3-year change
+2.5 pts
Annual receipts
39,959
FY2024
Hearing offices
3
29 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-03
Initial receipts
3,239
Initial determinations
3,458
Initial allowance rate
34.2%
Initial pending
22,613
Recon determinations
611
Recon allowance rate
18.8%
Hearing offices in Alabama
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTGOMERY | 27 | 237 | 2,854 | 69.3% | 11 |
| BIRMINGHAM | 47 | 245 | 2,356 | 49.9% | 8 |
| MOBILE | 70 | 254 | 3,417 | 74.2% | 11 |
ALJs in Alabama (29)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stalley, D Burgess | MOBILE | 92.1% | 126 | 116 | |
| Strong, C. Rene | MONTGOMERY | 91.6% | 239 | 219 | |
| Sheely, Ben E | MOBILE | 85.8% | 260 | 223 | |
| Nelson, Roger A | MOBILE | 83.9% | 224 | 188 | |
| Intoccia, Vincent | MONTGOMERY | 83.4% | 308 | 257 | |
| Naylor, Amy | MONTGOMERY | 82.1% | 240 | 197 | |
| Muth, Thomas M | MOBILE | 78.4% | 194 | 152 | |
| Guice, Tracy S | MOBILE | 77.3% | 216 | 167 | |
| Oakes, Brian A. | MONTGOMERY | 76.1% | 259 | 197 | |
| Turner, Brian | BIRMINGHAM | 74.2% | 283 | 210 | |
| Akins, George M. | MONTGOMERY | 73.8% | 80 | 59 | |
| Robinson, Laura L | MOBILE | 73.4% | 278 | 204 | |
| South, Ricky V. | MONTGOMERY | 69.7% | 290 | 202 | |
| Messina, Christopher | ST PETERSBURG FL OHO | 69.4% | 36 | 25 | |
| McCaghren, Marni R | MOBILE | 66.4% | 253 | 168 | |
| Barnett-Jefferson, Renita | MONTGOMERY | 66.1% | 295 | 195 | |
| Campbell, Daniel S | MOBILE | 64.9% | 302 | 196 | |
| Boucher, Kevin | MOBILE | 63.0% | 284 | 179 | |
| Waller, Robert | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 62.5% | 48 | 30 | |
| Healy, Philip | CHARLESTON SC | 58.6% | 133 | 78 | |
| Jackson, Monica D | BIRMINGHAM | 57.2% | 264 | 151 | |
| Langland, John | MONTGOMERY | 55.6% | 277 | 154 | |
| Kraft, Emilie | BIRMINGHAM | 54.4% | 307 | 167 | |
| Johnson, Jessica Marie | PHILADELPHIA | 52.4% | 166 | 87 | |
| Johnson, Lisa M | BIRMINGHAM | 47.9% | 215 | 103 | |
| Latham, Carol | MONTGOMERY | 47.2% | 269 | 127 | |
| Helmer, Mary E | BIRMINGHAM | 41.6% | 255 | 106 | |
| Guthrie, Clarence | BIRMINGHAM | 39.6% | 351 | 139 | |
| Merchant, George W. | BIRMINGHAM | 35.3% | 317 | 112 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Alabama claim by condition, age, and stage.