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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 · 2026-06
Initial receipts
3,426
Initial determinations
3,091
Initial allowance rate
33.6%
Initial pending
21,923
Recon determinations
540
Recon allowance rate
18.9%
Hearing offices in Alabama
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTGOMERY | 31 | 239 | 2,593 | 69.7% | 11 |
| BIRMINGHAM | 49 | 247 | 2,355 | 49.8% | 8 |
| MOBILE | 75 | 256 | 3,260 | 74.9% | 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 | 87.0% | 293 | 255 | |
| Nelson, Roger A | MOBILE | 85.0% | 247 | 210 | |
| Intoccia, Vincent | MONTGOMERY | 83.8% | 345 | 289 | |
| Naylor, Amy | MONTGOMERY | 81.9% | 282 | 231 | |
| Guice, Tracy S | MOBILE | 78.9% | 237 | 187 | |
| Muth, Thomas M | MOBILE | 78.2% | 225 | 176 | |
| Oakes, Brian A. | MONTGOMERY | 76.8% | 293 | 225 | |
| Turner, Brian | BIRMINGHAM | 75.2% | 326 | 245 | |
| Robinson, Laura L | MOBILE | 74.2% | 318 | 236 | |
| Akins, George M. | MONTGOMERY | 73.8% | 80 | 59 | |
| South, Ricky V. | MONTGOMERY | 70.6% | 344 | 243 | |
| Messina, Christopher | ST PETERSBURG FL OHO | 70.0% | 40 | 28 | |
| Barnett-Jefferson, Renita | MONTGOMERY | 68.1% | 332 | 226 | |
| McCaghren, Marni R | MOBILE | 66.8% | 286 | 191 | |
| Campbell, Daniel S | MOBILE | 65.3% | 343 | 224 | |
| Boucher, Kevin | MOBILE | 64.3% | 325 | 209 | |
| Waller, Robert | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 64.0% | 50 | 32 | |
| Healy, Philip | CHARLESTON SC | 60.1% | 153 | 92 | |
| Jackson, Monica D | BIRMINGHAM | 57.4% | 298 | 171 | |
| Kraft, Emilie | BIRMINGHAM | 54.7% | 340 | 186 | |
| Langland, John | MONTGOMERY | 54.7% | 322 | 176 | |
| Johnson, Jessica Marie | PHILADELPHIA | 52.9% | 174 | 92 | |
| Latham, Carol | MONTGOMERY | 49.4% | 312 | 154 | |
| Johnson, Lisa M | BIRMINGHAM | 45.7% | 247 | 113 | |
| Helmer, Mary E | BIRMINGHAM | 41.4% | 304 | 126 | |
| Guthrie, Clarence | BIRMINGHAM | 39.2% | 401 | 157 | |
| Merchant, George W. | BIRMINGHAM | 35.6% | 362 | 129 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Alabama claim by condition, age, and stage.