Queens Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
New York · SSA Region 02
Approval Rate
74.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
10 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
376 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,454
awaiting hearing
ALJs
7
active judges
Queens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Leventer | 92.2% | 7.8% | 88.6% | 334 | 389 |
| Valorie Stefanelli | 79.4% | 20.6% | 69.1% | 68 | 89 |
| Margaret L Pecoraro | 78.4% | 21.6% | 73.5% | 366 | 418 |
| Robert R Schriver | 77.4% | 22.6% | 67.4% | 190 | 219 |
| Margaret A Donaghy | 76.7% | 23.3% | 65.8% | 73 | 81 |
| Sandra M McKenna | 70.6% | 29.4% | 62.6% | 350 | 419 |
| Michael J Stacchini | 56.8% | 43.2% | 55.1% | 118 | 148 |
About the Queens Social Security Hearing Office
The Queens hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in New York. This office is in SSA Region 02 and currently has 7 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 74.9%, which is above the national average of 58.3%. This higher-than-average rate reflects the combined decision patterns of all judges at this office. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 56.8% to 92.2%, a 35-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 10 months, which is longer than the national average of 8 months. Longer wait times can reflect higher caseload volume relative to available judges. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 376 days. There are currently 1,454 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 208 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 68.9%. 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 Queens Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Queens, 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 10 months and 376 days average processing time, claimants at Queens can expect a total timeline of roughly 23 months from hearing request to decision. This longer-than-average wait underscores the importance of having complete medical evidence ready well before the hearing date.
Judges at Queens have collectively issued 1,499 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 214 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 68 to 366 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Queens Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Queens?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 56.8% to 92.2%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 68.9%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Queens?
What is the average case processing time at Queens?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 23 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.