Buffalo Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New York · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
54%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
261 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,467
awaiting hearing
ALJs
6
active judges
Buffalo ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for 12 months ending July 2026. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Georger | 59.7% | 40.3% | 53% | 417 | 490 |
| Bryce Baird | 59.6% | 40.4% | 49.3% | 136 | 152 |
| Stephan Bell | 54.3% | 45.7% | 49.1% | 328 | 378 |
| Stephen Cordovani | 47.2% | 52.8% | 41.1% | 341 | 419 |
| William M Weir | 43.4% | 56.6% | 35.8% | 366 | 452 |
| Helen Valkavich | 25% | 75% | 25% | 4 | 4 |
About the Buffalo Social Security Hearing Office
The Buffalo hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in New York. This office is in SSA Region 02 and currently has 6 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 54%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. This rate represents the aggregate of all judge decisions at the office and includes both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 25% to 59.7%, a 35-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 261 days. There are currently 1,467 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 245 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 42.2%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret Buffalo Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Buffalo, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 7 months and 261 days average processing time, claimants at Buffalo can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Buffalo have collectively issued 1,592 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 265 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 4 to 417 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Buffalo Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Buffalo?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 25% to 59.7%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 42.2%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
How many ALJs work at Buffalo?
What is the average case processing time at Buffalo?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
How often do judges at Buffalo issue fully favorable decisions?
Is Buffalo's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
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