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Official SSA Data

Macon Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Georgia · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

45.6%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

7.5 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

260 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

2,298

awaiting hearing

ALJs

8

active judges

Macon 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
Timothy Suing 100% N/A 80% 5 5
Christine A. Guard 62.1% 37.9% 56.5% 161 192
David Cornelius 60.4% 39.6% 46.6% 414 481
Stephen Thompson 54.6% 45.4% 39.5% 403 473
Vincent Hill 53.9% 46.1% 49.7% 167 200
Eric Fulcher 49% 51% 36.2% 516 591
Amy Uren Roberson 35.8% 64.2% 27.2% 316 387
Emily Y. Howard 18.2% 81.8% 13.2% 401 485

Former Judges at Macon

These judges have no recorded decisions at Macon 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
George Oetter June 2025 39% 267
Cam Oetter February 2024 33.8% 130

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 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 8 active ALJs.

The office's average approval rate is 45.6%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. 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 18.2% to 100%, a 82-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 7.5 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 260 days. There are currently 2,298 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 287 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 43.6%. 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 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 7.5 months and 260 days average processing time, claimants at Macon can expect a total timeline of roughly 16 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Macon have collectively issued 2,383 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 298 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 5 to 516 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Macon Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Macon?
The average ALJ approval rate at Macon is 45.6% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 18.2% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 43.6%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Macon?
The Macon office has 8 administrative law judges. Of these, 7 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 5 to 516 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Macon?
The current average wait time at Macon is 7.5 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 260 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 16 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.
How is office data calculated?
This office has faster-than-average wait times at 7.5 months. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. These figures rely on SSA's publicly released disposition records, which are processed and incorporated into our database as each reporting cycle concludes.
What percentage of approvals at Macon are fully favorable?
A fully favorable outcome awards benefits from the date the claimant first alleged disability. A partially favorable outcome also results in an award but may recognize a later onset date, reducing retroactive benefits. In the approval rate shown here, both types of favorable decisions are included. At Macon, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 43.6%.
How does Macon rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 5 hearing offices in Georgia, Macon ranks 4 of 5 with an approval rate of 45.6%. In terms of wait time, Macon ranks 3 of 5 (7.5 months). Visit the Georgia overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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