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Official SSA Data

Social Security Hearing System Dashboard

Complete overview of the Social Security disability hearing system.

National Summary (12 months ending July 2026)

Total ALJs

1,194

active judges

Hearing Offices

173

nationwide

Approval Rate

57.6%

national average

Wait Time

8.4 months

until hearing

Processing

267 days

to decision

Dispositions

426,563

12 months ending July 2026 total

Key Disability Hearing Insights

Per-Judge Caseload

~425

Each ALJ handles roughly 425 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

~17 months

This figure combines the average wait for a hearing (8.4 months) with the time to receive a written decision (267 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

15.0 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 →
7,615
Receipts
8,070
Dispositions
42,380
Pending

Latest: Jun 26

Federal Court

View Federal Court →
1,823
New Cases
1,251
Dispositions
1,493
Pending

Latest: Jun 26

ALJ Approval Rate Distribution (12 months ending July 2026)

Understanding the Distribution

This chart shows how ALJ approval rates are distributed across all judges with 50+ decisions. The national average is 57.6%.

Below 50% 281 judges
50% - 70% 511 judges
Above 70% 208 judges

Office Wait Time Rankings

Shortest Wait Times

1
Buffalo
New York
7 months
2
Louisville
Kentucky
7 months
3
Huntington WV
West Virginia
7 months
4
Lexington
Kentucky
7 months
5
Atlanta Downtown
Georgia
7 months

Longest Wait Times

1
Special Review Cadre
District Of Columbia
22 months
2
Nhc Albuquerque
New Mexico
18 months
3
Nhc Chicago
Illinois
11 months
4
Nhc St Louis
Missouri
11 months
5
Nhc Baltimore
Maryland
10.5 months

Highest Approval Rate Judges

View all →
Rank Judge Office Approval Decisions
1 Whitfield Haigler JR. Dallas North Oho 98.2% 273
2 James Cole Cartledge Miami Oho 96.7% 461
3 Jan Leventer Detroit 94.2% 414
4 D Burgess Stalley Mobile 93.3% 179
5 Margaret M Sullivan Tacoma 92.8% 416

Judges with 100+ decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026

Explore Data

Browse by State
50 states & territories
All Hearing Offices
173 offices nationwide
Search Judges
1194 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 the 12 months ending July 2026. Statistics cover 1,194 active ALJs across 173 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: 2026-07-31. 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 57.6% 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.