Official SSA Data

Elkins Park Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Pennsylvania · SSA Region 03

Approval Rate

60.8%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

273 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

4,040

awaiting hearing

ALJs

11

active judges

Elkins Park 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
Stuart Gauffreau 74.5% 25.5% 60.1% 444 516
Eric Schwarz 73.9% 26.1% 68.3% 372 446
Brady Carter 67.4% 32.6% 65% 420 514
Sandra Morales Price 66.2% 33.8% 63.3% 346 417
Marc Silverman 58.8% 41.2% 56.2% 379 465
Margaret M Gabell 56.9% 43.1% 42.6% 399 478
Elana Hollo 56.4% 43.6% 48.7% 390 483
Jennifer M. Lash 55.4% 44.6% 47.1% 240 276
Luke Woltering 50.6% 49.4% 38.7% 419 494
Jennifer Spector 50% 50% 39% 418 476
Amy Benton 33.3% 66.7% 20% 15 18

Former Judges at Elkins Park

These judges have no recorded decisions at Elkins Park in the 12 months ending July 2026. Figures below cover each judge's own last twelve reported months, ending in the month shown.

Judge Last Decisions Reported Approval Rate Total Decisions
Vivian McAneney March 2025 59.3% 344
Kathleen McDade March 2025 57.8% 434

Approval rates here cover each judge's own trailing window ending in the month shown, so they are not directly comparable with the current roster above or with national figures.

About the Elkins Park Social Security Hearing Office

Elkins Park is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Pennsylvania. Operating within SSA Region 03, the office has 11 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 11 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 60.8%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. Being close to the national average suggests this office's case mix and decision patterns are broadly representative of the system as a whole. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 33.3% to 74.5%, a 41-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 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 273 days. There are currently 4,040 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 367 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 49.9%. 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 Elkins Park Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Elkins Park, 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 8 months and 273 days average processing time, claimants at Elkins Park can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Elkins Park have collectively issued 3,842 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 349 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 15 to 444 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Elkins Park Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Elkins Park?
The average ALJ approval rate at Elkins Park is 60.8% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 33.3% to 74.5%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 49.9%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
How many ALJs work at Elkins Park?
The Elkins Park office has 11 administrative law judges. Of these, 10 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 15 to 444 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Elkins Park?
The current average wait time at Elkins Park is 8 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 273 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
With 11 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. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
How often do judges at Elkins Park issue fully favorable decisions?
When a judge issues a fully favorable ruling, benefits begin from the claimant's requested onset date. A partially favorable ruling still awards benefits but may adjust the onset to a later date, which affects retroactive payments. The approval rate combines both outcome types. At Elkins Park, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 49.9%.
Is Elkins Park's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 8 hearing offices in Pennsylvania, Elkins Park ranks 2 of 8 with an approval rate of 60.8%. In terms of wait time, Elkins Park ranks 1 of 8 (8 months). Visit the Pennsylvania overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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