Obtaining social security disability in Iowa has its challenges. Much like the rest of the country, Iowa approves about one-third of the new social security disability cases opened in the state every year. The national average is 32.2% while Iowa awards benefits in 34.6% of new disability cases. Disability claimants that are denied benefits can ask that their case is reconsidered. Even at this first appeals stage, only about 10% of claims are awarded after the second review. Many workers will go on to submit a Request for Hearing wherein their Iowa social security disability case can be heard by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in the state’s West Des Moines hearing office.
From the time you file your Request for Hearing to the time the hearing is actually processed, you can expect a year or more to pass. The wait time is 385 days in Iowa with an average wait time of 349 days nationwide. Once your case has been heard, the West Des Moines hearing office has an award rate of approximately 40%, a rate that’s slightly lower than the 47.2% statewide award rate and notably less than the national average of 58.1% of cases awarded. The chart below provides a comparison of SSD approval rates and processing times at the local, state and national levels.
| Hearing Office | Approval Rate | Processing Time in Days |
| West Des Moines | 39.6% | 385 |
Nine judges are currently appointed to hear and make decisions on Iowa social security disability cases in the West Des Moines hearing office. Choosing to work with an attorney who has experience attending disability hearings and presenting cases on behalf of injured workers will provide you with a distinct advantage over those who have no experience in this area. Experienced attorneys will likely have observed and noted the preferences of individual ALJs and will thus be able to present a more effective argument on your behalf.
To get a free consultation on your Iowa social security disability case, fill out the evaluation form on this site. You have no obligation to retain legal services and you will owe no attorney’s fees unless your Iowa social security attorney is able to win your case. If you would like more information about hiring an Iowa disability attorney in your area, click on the city closest to you below:
