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Updated July 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 · 2026-07
Initial receipts
4,360
Initial determinations
4,176
Initial allowance rate
34.6%
Initial pending
21,898
Recon determinations
899
Recon allowance rate
15.6%
Hearing offices in Alabama
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTGOMERY | 31 | 239 | 2,593 | 69.3% | 11 |
| BIRMINGHAM | 49 | 247 | 2,355 | 49.1% | 8 |
| MOBILE | 75 | 256 | 3,260 | 74.5% | 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 | 87.9% | 331 | 291 | |
| Nelson, Roger A | MOBILE | 84.6% | 273 | 231 | |
| Intoccia, Vincent | MONTGOMERY | 83.8% | 345 | 289 | |
| Naylor, Amy | MONTGOMERY | 83.3% | 323 | 269 | |
| Muth, Thomas M | MOBILE | 77.4% | 266 | 206 | |
| Oakes, Brian A. | MONTGOMERY | 77.1% | 349 | 269 | |
| Guice, Tracy S | MOBILE | 77.0% | 274 | 211 | |
| Turner, Brian | BIRMINGHAM | 75.1% | 374 | 281 | |
| Robinson, Laura L | MOBILE | 74.1% | 363 | 269 | |
| Akins, George M. | MONTGOMERY | 73.8% | 80 | 59 | |
| Messina, Christopher | ST PETERSBURG FL OHO | 70.5% | 44 | 31 | |
| South, Ricky V. | MONTGOMERY | 70.3% | 387 | 272 | |
| Barnett-Jefferson, Renita | MONTGOMERY | 68.5% | 384 | 263 | |
| McCaghren, Marni R | MOBILE | 67.9% | 321 | 218 | |
| Campbell, Daniel S | MOBILE | 64.5% | 392 | 253 | |
| Boucher, Kevin | MOBILE | 64.3% | 373 | 240 | |
| Waller, Robert | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 60.7% | 61 | 37 | |
| Jackson, Monica D | BIRMINGHAM | 57.6% | 335 | 193 | |
| Healy, Philip | CHARLESTON SC | 57.5% | 193 | 111 | |
| Langland, John | MONTGOMERY | 55.2% | 362 | 200 | |
| Kraft, Emilie | BIRMINGHAM | 54.5% | 385 | 210 | |
| Johnson, Jessica Marie | PHILADELPHIA | 53.1% | 192 | 102 | |
| Latham, Carol | MONTGOMERY | 48.6% | 356 | 173 | |
| Johnson, Lisa M | BIRMINGHAM | 44.1% | 297 | 131 | |
| Helmer, Mary E | BIRMINGHAM | 40.3% | 347 | 140 | |
| Guthrie, Clarence | BIRMINGHAM | 37.4% | 446 | 167 | |
| Merchant, George W. | BIRMINGHAM | 35.0% | 409 | 143 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Alabama claim by condition, age, and stage.