Florence Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
South Carolina · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
49.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
198 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
989
awaiting hearing
ALJs
8
active judges
Florence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloria W Green | 100% | N/A | 100% | 3 | 3 |
| Jason A Lewis | 67.9% | 32.1% | 62.2% | 352 | 407 |
| Stacy Gray | 58.3% | 41.7% | 54.2% | 24 | 32 |
| Lori J Williams | 50.3% | 49.7% | 34.3% | 286 | 346 |
| Mallette Richey | 44.4% | 55.6% | 34.7% | 311 | 357 |
| James Grimes | 39% | 61% | 30% | 333 | 391 |
| Patrick R. Digby | 38.3% | 61.7% | 34.2% | 222 | 285 |
| Cynthia G Weaver | 29.4% | 70.6% | 26.5% | 34 | 43 |
About the Florence Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Florence service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in South Carolina. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 8 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 49.9%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. This rate is shaped by the interplay of case characteristics, local representation patterns, and individual judge decision tendencies. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 29.4% to 100%, a 71-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 198 days. There are currently 989 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 124 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 47.0%. 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 Florence Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Florence, 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 198 days average processing time, claimants at Florence can expect a total timeline of roughly 13 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 Florence have collectively issued 1,565 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 196 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 3 to 352 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Florence Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Florence?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 29.4% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 47.0%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Florence?
How long is the wait time at Florence?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 13 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.