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Charlotte Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

North Carolina · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

70.4%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

6 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

238 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

2,499

awaiting hearing

ALJs

12

active judges

Charlotte ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics

Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.

Judge Approval Rate Denial Rate Fully Favorable Total Decisions Dispositions
Brent T Asseff 91.4% 8.6% 87% 362 421
Randall D Huggins 91% 9% 87.5% 345 408
Mary Ryerse 82.9% 17.1% 76.4% 339 407
Peter Jamison 80.9% 19.1% 76.8% 345 415
Theresa R. Jenkins 79.7% 20.3% 76.3% 325 390
Valorie Stefanelli 77.6% 22.4% 76.3% 76 97
R. Dirk Selland 63.4% 36.6% 60.2% 123 173
Vincent Hill 56.8% 43.2% 50% 132 180
Nancy McCoy 55.6% 44.4% 46% 311 401
Paul Goodson 54.4% 45.6% 45.6% 298 366
Susan Poulos 32.3% 67.7% 27.2% 254 302
Grant Dail N/A 100% N/A 1 1

About the Charlotte Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Charlotte service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in North Carolina. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 12 active ALJs. With 12 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 70.4%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This rate emerges from the aggregate of individual judge decisions and should be understood in the context of local case demographics and representation patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 0% to 91.4%, a 91-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 238 days. There are currently 2,499 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 208 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 59.1%. 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 Charlotte Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Charlotte, 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 6 months and 238 days average processing time, claimants at Charlotte can expect a total timeline of roughly 14 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.

Judges at Charlotte have collectively issued 2,911 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 243 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 362 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Charlotte Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at Charlotte?
The average ALJ approval rate at Charlotte is 70.4% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 0% to 91.4%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 59.1%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Charlotte?
The Charlotte office has 12 administrative law judges. Of these, 11 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 1 to 362 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at Charlotte?
The current average wait time at Charlotte is 6 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 238 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 14 months. Note that wait times are point-in-time estimates from SSA reporting and may vary from month to month based on case volume and staffing changes.
How is office data calculated?
With 12 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
What is the fully favorable rate at Charlotte?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At Charlotte, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 59.1%.
How does Charlotte compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 4 hearing offices in North Carolina, Charlotte has the highest approval rate at 70.4%. In terms of wait time, Charlotte ranks 1 of 4 (6 months). Visit the North Carolina overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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