Philadelphia East Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Pennsylvania · SSA Region 03
Approval Rate
50.2%
vs 57.6% national
Wait Time
9.5 months
vs 8.4 months national
Processing Time
297 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
952
awaiting hearing
ALJs
6
active judges
Philadelphia East 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Wishnoff | 73% | 27% | 67.7% | 285 | 352 |
| Hope Grunberg | 66.7% | 33.3% | 66.7% | 3 | 5 |
| Jessica Marie Johnson | 62.5% | 37.5% | 25% | 8 | 16 |
| Susan Preston | 50% | 50% | 50% | 2 | 4 |
| Nycole Watson | 50% | 50% | 33.6% | 280 | 377 |
| Michele Lazzaro | 40.8% | 59.2% | 36.2% | 475 | 584 |
About the Philadelphia East Social Security Hearing Office
Claimants in the Philadelphia East service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in Pennsylvania. The office is assigned to SSA Region 03 and has 6 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 50.2%, 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 40.8% to 73%, a 32-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9.5 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 297 days. There are currently 952 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 159 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 46.5%. 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 Philadelphia East Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Philadelphia East, 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 9.5 months and 297 days average processing time, claimants at Philadelphia East can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Philadelphia East have collectively issued 1,053 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 176 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 475 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Philadelphia East Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at Philadelphia East?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 40.8% to 73%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 46.5%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Which judges hear cases at Philadelphia East?
How long is the wait time at Philadelphia East?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 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?
What is the fully favorable rate at Philadelphia East?
How does Philadelphia East compare to other offices in the state?
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