Macon Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Georgia · SSA Region 04
Approval Rate
47.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
260 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
984
awaiting hearing
ALJs
9
active judges
Macon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christine Guard | 62.4% | 37.6% | 54.7% | 181 | 203 |
| David Cornelius | 60.4% | 39.6% | 43.3% | 321 | 352 |
| Eric S. Fulcher | 54.5% | 45.5% | 43.8% | 297 | 347 |
| Stephen Thompson | 52.5% | 47.5% | 39.5% | 263 | 301 |
| Vincent Hill | 42.1% | 57.9% | 35.1% | 57 | 73 |
| George Oetter | 41% | 59% | 34.8% | 210 | 252 |
| Amy Uren Roberson | 39.7% | 60.3% | 28.8% | 184 | 232 |
| Emily Y Howard | 25% | 75% | 18.7% | 268 | 325 |
| Norman Hemming | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 |
About the Macon Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Macon service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Georgia. The office is assigned to SSA Region 04 and has 9 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 47.9%, 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 25% to 62.4%, a 37-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 260 days. There are currently 984 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 109 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 37.3%. 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 Macon Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Macon, 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 260 days average processing time, claimants at Macon can expect a total timeline of roughly 15 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 Macon have collectively issued 1,781 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 198 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 57 to 321 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Macon Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Macon?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 25% to 62.4%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 37.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Macon?
How long do disability cases take at Macon?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 15 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.