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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public

State Profile

Texas

TX · Region DAL

DDS approval rate

38.3%

-1.5 pts vs national

DDS approval rate

38.3%

National: 39.8%

3-year change

+4.6 pts

Annual receipts

146,999

FY2024

Hearing offices

7

64 ALJs

Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-06

Initial receipts

14,413

Initial determinations

8,389

Initial allowance rate

38.2%

Initial pending

135,503

Recon determinations

3,615

Recon allowance rate

12.5%

Hearing offices in Texas

OfficeRankProcessing daysPendingApprovalJudges
HOUSTON NORTH122314,32455.7%9
RIO GRANDE VALLEY TX3123983355.3%2
FORT WORTH342402,71855.8%7
HOUSTON WEST612504,21253.5%12
DALLAS DOWNTOWN642532,74558.7%7
DALLAS NORTH OHO782575,51663.2%11
SAN ANTONIO852596,89754.1%21

ALJs in Texas (64)

Sorted by approval rate.

JudgeOfficeApprovalDecisionsAwardsTrend
Haigler Jr., WhitfieldDALLAS NORTH OHO97.6%205200
Gazda, PeterSAN ANTONIO89.3%300268
Liken, JosephDALLAS NORTH OHO89.0%310276
Thompson, MichelleLOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN86.6%298258
Walters, CharlesDALLAS NORTH OHO85.5%337288
Strong, Helen FHOUSTON WEST84.0%213179
Murdock, AlexisSAN ANTONIO80.1%246197
Suing, TimothyHOUSTON WEST77.3%2217
Thames, Tammy ADALLAS DOWNTOWN76.3%291222
Kinkade, JanaDALLAS NORTH OHO76.2%307234
Gutierrez, DavidHOUSTON NORTH70.8%346245
Simmons, D'LisaHOUSTON NORTH69.9%412288
Lahat, GalDALLAS DOWNTOWN68.1%207141
Phillips, Derek N.DALLAS NORTH OHO67.8%304206
Bach, LauraHOUSTON WEST67.6%321217
Cravens, Steven L.OKLAHOMA CITY66.4%211140
Wilkerson, DwightSAN ANTONIO64.5%234151
Burdette, RobertHOUSTON WEST64.2%324208
Williams, Harry L.HOUSTON NORTH64.2%187120
Roberts, LauraFORT WORTH63.8%354226
Thomason, SamuelDALLAS NORTH OHO63.3%215136
Hamner, DarrenFORT WORTH61.6%349215
Carvalho, SherrillFORT WORTH59.4%276164
Shilling, Ralph F.DALLAS NORTH OHO59.3%236140
Maiben, EvelynDALLAS DOWNTOWN59.1%320189
Howard, William BHOUSTON NORTH59.0%278164
Wyatt, Kimberly O.RIO GRANDE VALLEY TX58.6%13378
Elias, YasminPHOENIX NORTH58.0%5029
McKay, Bernard J.SAN ANTONIO56.9%353201
Eason, Kimani RHOUSTON WEST55.9%313175
Kirkpatrick, MelindaSAN ANTONIO55.0%360198
McPhail, RobertSAN ANTONIO54.5%290158
Sauve, MichaelDALLAS DOWNTOWN54.2%325176
Patel, Hiral D.RIO GRANDE VALLEY TX54.1%381206
Wurm, David R.SAN ANTONIO53.5%340182
Helget, Thomas JHOUSTON NORTH53.5%404216
Brown, KatherineSAN ANTONIO53.1%260138
Kim, MarkDALLAS NORTH OHO52.8%305161
Kinnell, TresieDALLAS DOWNTOWN52.2%270141
Mendola, MarkDALLAS DOWNTOWN51.7%17490
Meyer, Gerald LHOUSTON NORTH51.7%325168
Gilbert, Richard AHOUSTON WEST51.7%333172
Boyle, SolomonHOUSTON WEST50.7%221112
Foley, DavidDALLAS DOWNTOWN50.6%348176
Allen, MatthewSAN ANTONIO50.5%372188
Wheeler, ThomasDALLAS NORTH OHO49.8%287143
Hebert, DavidHOUSTON NORTH49.5%285141
Wilkov, PennySAN ANTONIO47.8%293140
Barnett, BenSAN ANTONIO47.5%305145
Holmes, Janice L.SAN ANTONIO47.0%302142
Showing the top 50 of 64 judges.

Next step

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See SSA historical approval base rates for a Texas claim by condition, age, and stage.

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