Official SSA Data

Omaha Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Nebraska · SSA Region 07

Approval Rate

50.6%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

6 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

209 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

1,188

awaiting hearing

ALJs

6

active judges

Omaha 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
David J Delaittre 73.6% 26.4% 66.8% 394 462
David G Buell 59.7% 40.3% 51.9% 360 428
Matthew Bring 52.1% 47.9% 38% 71 84
Matthew C Dawson 46.5% 53.5% 43.3% 372 450
Jan E Dutton 44% 56% 38.8% 389 472
Chris Yokus 28.2% 71.8% 20.9% 373 460

About the Omaha Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Omaha service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Nebraska. The office is assigned to SSA Region 07 and has 6 active ALJs.

The office's average approval rate is 50.6%, 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 28.2% to 73.6%, a 45-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 209 days. There are currently 1,188 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 198 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 43.3%. 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 Omaha Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Omaha, 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 209 days average processing time, claimants at Omaha 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 Omaha have collectively issued 1,959 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 327 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 71 to 394 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Omaha Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Omaha?
The average ALJ approval rate at Omaha is 50.6% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 28.2% to 73.6%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 43.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Omaha?
The Omaha office has 6 administrative law judges. Decision counts range from 71 to 394 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Omaha?
The current average wait time at Omaha is 6 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 209 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 13 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 6 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 Omaha 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 Omaha, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 43.3%.