Indianapolis Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Indiana · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
60.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
255 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
2,922
awaiting hearing
ALJs
12
active judges
Indianapolis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel J Mages | 73.6% | 26.4% | 68.6% | 458 | 508 |
| Noell F Allen | 73.3% | 26.7% | 63.8% | 307 | 345 |
| Albert J Velasquez | 72.9% | 27.1% | 69.4% | 258 | 285 |
| Timothy Turner | 70.5% | 29.5% | 67.1% | 149 | 195 |
| Jody H Odell | 69.4% | 30.6% | 65.8% | 409 | 476 |
| Monica Lapolt | 65.7% | 34.3% | 61.3% | 411 | 479 |
| Shelette Veal | 65.5% | 34.5% | 60.8% | 406 | 468 |
| Fredric Roberson | 60.4% | 39.6% | 53.8% | 442 | 504 |
| Teresa A Kroenecke | 53.7% | 46.3% | 48.7% | 382 | 435 |
| Gladys Whitfield | 51.1% | 48.9% | 42.4% | 368 | 414 |
| Kevin Walker | 46% | 54% | 40.6% | 446 | 507 |
| Jeffrey S Ciegel | 43.5% | 56.5% | 39% | 467 | 549 |
About the Indianapolis Social Security Hearing Office
The Indianapolis hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Indiana. This office is in SSA Region 05 and currently has 12 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. 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 60.9%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. 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 43.5% to 73.6%, a 30-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 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 255 days. There are currently 2,922 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 244 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 56.8%. 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 Indianapolis Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Indianapolis, 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 255 days average processing time, claimants at Indianapolis can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Indianapolis have collectively issued 4,503 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 375 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 149 to 467 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Indianapolis Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Indianapolis?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 43.5% to 73.6%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 56.8%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Indianapolis?
How long do disability cases take at Indianapolis?
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.