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Official SSA Data

Social Security Hearing System Dashboard

Complete overview of the Social Security disability hearing system.

National Summary (FY 2025)

Total ALJs

1,150

active judges

Hearing Offices

172

nationwide

Approval Rate

58.3%

national average

Wait Time

8 months

until hearing

Processing

286 days

to decision

Dispositions

394,479

FY 2025 total

Key Disability Hearing Insights

Per-Judge Caseload

~356

Each ALJ handles roughly 356 dispositions per year on average, though individual caseloads vary widely based on office size, scheduling, and case complexity. Judges with higher caseloads have more statistical significance in their approval rates, while those with fewer cases may show more volatility year to year.

Request to Decision

~18 months

This figure combines the average wait for a hearing (8 months) with the time to receive a written decision (286 days). The actual timeline at your local hearing office may differ significantly — some offices process cases months faster than the national average.

Wait Time Spread

10.5 months

The gap between the fastest and slowest hearing offices shows how much geography affects wait times. Claimants are assigned to offices based on residential address, so location plays a meaningful role in how long the process takes. Browse state-level data to see how your region compares, or check individual judge statistics for approval rate patterns at your office.

Appeals Council

View Appeals Council →
7,115
Receipts
8,571
Dispositions
45,173
Pending

Latest: Sep 25

Federal Court

View Federal Court →
1,425
New Cases
1,210
Dispositions
1,219
Pending

Latest: Sep 25

ALJ Approval Rate Distribution (FY 2025)

Understanding the Distribution

This chart shows how ALJ approval rates are distributed across all judges with 50+ decisions. The national average is 58.3%.

Below 50% 277 judges
50% - 70% 579 judges
Above 70% 250 judges

Office Wait Time Rankings

Shortest Wait Times

1
Jackson MS Oho
Mississippi
5.5 months
2
Lexington
Kentucky
6 months
3
Nashville
Tennessee
6 months
4
Mobile
Alabama
6 months
5
Charlotte
North Carolina
6 months

Longest Wait Times

1
Special Review Cadre
District Of Columbia
16 months
2
Fresno
California
14.5 months
3
Ponce
Puerto Rico
14 months
4
Santa Barbara
California
13 months
5
Rochester
New York
12 months

Highest Approval Rate Judges

View all →
Rank Judge Office Approval Decisions
1 D B Stalley Mobile 92.8% 264
2 James C Cartledge Miami Oho 92.7% 330
3 Donna L Walker Spokane 92.3% 336
4 Jan Leventer Detroit 92.2% 334
5 Brent T Asseff Charlotte 91.4% 362

Judges with 100+ decisions in FY 2025

Explore Data

Browse by State
50 states & territories
All Hearing Offices
172 offices nationwide
Search Judges
1150 active ALJs
Methodology
How we calculate statistics

Social Security Hearing Statistics FAQ

What do these national statistics represent?
This dashboard presents aggregate data from the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations for FY 2025. Statistics cover 1,150 active ALJs across 172 hearing offices in 50 states and territories. Data is sourced from SSA public use files which report monthly disposition records for each judge. The approval rate, wait time, and processing time figures are national averages — individual offices and judges may differ significantly.
How often is this data updated?
SSA publishes updated hearing disposition data periodically throughout the fiscal year. New data releases typically include cumulative monthly records from the start of the fiscal year (October 1) through the most recent reporting period. We process and incorporate new SSA data releases as they become available. Last updated: 2025-09-26. Visit our methodology page for details on data sourcing and processing.
How should I interpret the approval rate distribution?
The distribution chart shows how ALJ approval rates cluster across the system. A wide distribution (rates spread from below 40% to above 90%) indicates significant judge-to-judge variation in outcomes. The national average of 58.3% sits within this distribution but does not capture the full range of outcomes a claimant might experience. Most judges fall in the 50-70% range, but notable outliers exist on both ends. These patterns reflect differences in case assignment, hearing office characteristics, and individual decision-making tendencies.