Kingsport Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Tennessee · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
56.6%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
218 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,383
awaiting hearing
ALJs
10
active judges
Kingsport 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentry C Hogan | 75.3% | 24.7% | 72.6% | 219 | 252 |
| Evans III. | 68% | 32% | 64% | 25 | 28 |
| Keith C Pilkey | 67.5% | 32.5% | 59.9% | 357 | 406 |
| Charles R Howard | 59.1% | 40.9% | 52.3% | 421 | 464 |
| Mary M Renfroe | 58.9% | 41.1% | 51.4% | 175 | 212 |
| John A Pottinger | 56.6% | 43.4% | 50.6% | 348 | 400 |
| Carolyn Keen | 51.5% | 48.5% | 36.4% | 33 | 37 |
| Benjamin Burton | 46.2% | 53.8% | 42.3% | 305 | 359 |
| Robin J Barber | 38.5% | 61.5% | 34.5% | 325 | 373 |
| Brian Battles | 37.5% | 62.5% | 26.9% | 104 | 136 |
About the Kingsport Social Security Hearing Office
The Kingsport hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Tennessee. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 10 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 10 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 56.6%, 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 37.5% to 75.3%, a 38-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 218 days. There are currently 1,383 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 138 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 49.1%. 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 Kingsport Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Kingsport, 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 218 days average processing time, claimants at Kingsport 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 Kingsport have collectively issued 2,312 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 231 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 25 to 421 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Kingsport Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Kingsport?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 37.5% to 75.3%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 49.1%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Kingsport?
What is the average case processing time at Kingsport?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 13 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.