If you are a resident of Des Moines, Iowa (Polk County) and can no longer work due to disability or illness, an experienced Social Security Disability attorney is available to help you apply for the disability benefits you need to achieve financial stability. Although legal representation is not required to file for disability benefits, many applicants find that professional guidance is extremely useful.
Begin your Social Security Disability application by filling out the necessary paperwork online or in person at a local Social Security office. Listed below are several offices located conveniently in the Des Moines area:
455 SW 5th St, Suite F
Riverpoint Office Complex
Des Moines, IA 50309
Telephone: 1-800-772-1213
2615 University Blvd
Ames, IA 50010
Telephone: (866) 899-1928
3012 Division St
Burlington, IA 52601
Telephone: 1-800-772-1213
Des Moines Social Security Disability claims are typically processed in the West Des Moines hearing office. Right now the West Des Moines hearing office is experiencing a wait time of 392 days and a total of 4,298 pending cases. Although these numbers seem to indicate a long wait to receive disability benefits, many Des Moines residents find that disability benefits are well worth any inconvenience.
In December 2011, there were 9,660 SSDI beneficiaries as well as 7,193 SSI recipients living in Polk County.
Any questions you may have about SSI and SSDI are answered here.
Consulting with a Des Moines Social Security Disability Attorney
Because the application process for Social Security Disability benefits can be difficult to navigate, it may be in your best interest to retain the services of a qualified Des Moines attorney or advocate. A legal professional can actually increase your chances of being approved for disability benefits.
Learn about the many benefits of hiring legal representation here.
A Des Moines Social Security Disability lawyer will also handle disability claims in the following cities located in Polk County, Warren County, Marion County, Jasper County, Story County, Boone County, Dallas County, and Madison County: Urbandale, Pleasant Hill, Altoona, Saylorville, Johnston, Grimes, Clive, Waukee, Cumming, Norwalk, Carlisle, Ankeny, Bondurant, Polk City, Indianola, Madrid, and Huxley.
Contact the Iowa State Bar Association for more information regarding the lawyers in your area:
Iowa State Bar Association
625 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309
Des Moines Disability Hearings
If your claim is denied during the initial and reconsideration stages of the Social Security Disability application process, you will need to request an appeal hearing in order to continue your pursuit of disability benefits. The majority of Des Moines disability appeals are handled in the West Des Moines Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
Below is a list of the approval rates for the administrative law judges (ALJs) who hear cases in the West Des Moines Hearing Office. This information may prove useful to an experienced Social Security Disability attorney—particularly if he or she is familiar with the administrative law judge hearing your appeal.
| ALJ | Approval Rate |
| Andrews, Tom | 60.71% |
| Bruntz, Julie K. | 40.43% |
| Gordon, Matthew J | 52.58% |
| Hamilton, Henry | 48.47% |
| Kelly, Robert A. | 24.30% |
| Larner, Michael L. | 33.96% |
| Lehr, Michael A. | 0.00% |
| Lupisella, Mikel | 47.74% |
| Priester, John | 60.44% |
| Sandbothe, John E. | 50.64% |
*Data from http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html
If you find that you cannot wait until your scheduled hearing date—due to financial or health related emergencies—you can request a congressional inquiry. Your congressperson has the power to expedite your appeal hearing to a sooner date if he or she finds in necessary. Your congressperson is:
Tom Latham
2700 Grand Ave.
Suite 109
Des Moines, Iowa 50312
Telephone: (515) 282-1909
Complete the following form to receive a free legal consultation with an experienced Des Moines Social Security Disability attorney or advocate:
