Indianapolis Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Indiana · SSA Region 05
Approval Rate
63%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
7 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
235 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
3,231
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Indianapolis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Mages | 77.3% | 22.7% | 71% | 476 | 523 |
| Noell F. Allen | 71% | 29% | 61.2% | 214 | 243 |
| Jody Odell | 70.9% | 29.1% | 67% | 440 | 503 |
| Shelette Veal | 70.2% | 29.8% | 66% | 467 | 540 |
| Timothy Turner | 69.8% | 30.2% | 65.4% | 182 | 224 |
| Monica Lapolt | 69.5% | 30.5% | 66.5% | 472 | 550 |
| Gladys Whitfield | 63.6% | 36.4% | 49.8% | 225 | 257 |
| Fredric Roberson | 61.9% | 38.1% | 55.4% | 464 | 523 |
| Teresa Kroenecke | 52.8% | 47.2% | 49.1% | 161 | 181 |
| Kevin Walker | 51.3% | 48.7% | 44% | 448 | 522 |
| Jeffrey S. Ciegel | 38.4% | 61.6% | 33% | 503 | 586 |
Former Judges at Indianapolis
This judge has no recorded decisions at Indianapolis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert J Velasquez | July 2025 | 74.2% | 361 |
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 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 11 administrative law judges who hear 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 63%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 38.4% to 77.3%, a 39-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 8.4 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 235 days. There are currently 3,231 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 294 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 57.1%. 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 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 235 days average processing time, claimants at Indianapolis can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Indianapolis have collectively issued 4,052 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 368 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 161 to 503 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 38.4% to 77.3%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 57.1%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
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 15 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
What percentage of approvals at Indianapolis are fully favorable?
How does Indianapolis rank among other hearing offices in the state?
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