Harrisburg Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Pennsylvania · SSA Region 03
Approval Rate
43%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
9.5 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
310 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,389
awaiting hearing
ALJs
6
active judges
Harrisburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick S Cutter | 68.7% | 31.3% | 66.1% | 316 | 415 |
| Scott M Staller | 49% | 51% | 43.6% | 408 | 497 |
| Howard Kauffman | 40% | 60% | 35.4% | 438 | 523 |
| David J Begley | 33.3% | 66.7% | 33.3% | 6 | 10 |
| Richard E Guida | 22.9% | 77.1% | 18.3% | 458 | 557 |
| Bernadette Reiling | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 |
About the Harrisburg Social Security Hearing Office
The Harrisburg hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Pennsylvania. This office is in SSA Region 03 and currently has 6 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 43%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. Approval rates are influenced by many factors including case mix, quality of representation, and individual judge decision-making patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 22.9% to 68.7%, a 46-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9.5 months, which is comparable to the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 310 days. There are currently 1,389 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 232 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 39.3%. A fully favorable decision awards benefits from the claimant's requested onset date, while a partially favorable decision may set a later onset date. Both count toward the overall approval rate.
How to Interpret Harrisburg Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Harrisburg, 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 9.5 months and 310 days average processing time, claimants at Harrisburg can expect a total timeline of roughly 20 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Harrisburg have collectively issued 1,626 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 271 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 6 to 458 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Harrisburg Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Harrisburg?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 22.9% to 68.7%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 39.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at Harrisburg?
How long is the wait time at Harrisburg?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 20 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.