ALJ Statistics powered by Chronicle
Official SSA Data

San Juan Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Puerto Rico · SSA Region 02

Approval Rate

63.1%

vs 58.3% national

Wait Time

11 months

vs 8 months national

Processing Time

457 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

2,328

awaiting hearing

ALJs

14

active judges

San Juan 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
Angel X Viera Vargas 85.5% 14.5% 82.3% 124 149
Yeli Quinones Regalado 85% 15% 75.5% 306 324
Hortensia Haaversen 76.9% 23.1% 67.5% 308 330
Ruy V Diaz 76.1% 23.9% 67.1% 255 287
Judith Torres 73.7% 26.3% 65.7% 251 266
J Sepulveda Anavitarte 73% 27% 67% 230 258
Gerardo R Pico 72.3% 27.7% 59.7% 119 129
Maria E Quant 70.1% 29.9% 52.3% 264 297
Luciannette Planas 67% 33% 50.7% 288 334
Kimberly O Wyatt 61.1% 38.9% 52.7% 203 215
Juan E Milanes 54.2% 45.8% 50% 120 139
Lissette C Perez 50% 50% 50% 2 3
Livia Morales 49% 51% 37.1% 353 380
Rosael Gautier 48.3% 51.7% 38.5% 234 273

About the San Juan Social Security Hearing Office

San Juan is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Puerto Rico. Operating within SSA Region 02, the office has 14 ALJs who preside over disability appeals. With 14 ALJs, this is one of the larger hearing offices in the system, handling a substantial volume of disability cases each fiscal year.

The office's average approval rate is 63.1%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. Being close to the national average suggests this office's case mix and decision patterns are broadly representative of the system as a whole. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 48.3% to 85.5%, 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 11 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 457 days. There are currently 2,328 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 166 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 58.3%. 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 San Juan Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at San Juan, 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 11 months and 457 days average processing time, claimants at San Juan can expect a total timeline of roughly 26 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 San Juan have collectively issued 3,057 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 218 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 353 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

San Juan Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at San Juan?
The average ALJ approval rate at San Juan is 63.1% for FY 2025. This rate combines both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions.

Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 48.3% to 85.5%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 58.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at San Juan?
The San Juan office has 14 administrative law judges. Of these, 13 have issued 50 or more decisions in FY 2025. Decision counts range from 2 to 353 in the current fiscal year. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at San Juan?
The current average wait time at San Juan is 11 months. This is longer than the national average of 8 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 457 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 26 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is office data calculated?
With 14 judges handling cases, this is one of the larger hearing offices. Office statistics are calculated by aggregating individual judge decision data. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
What is the fully favorable rate at San Juan?
When a judge issues a fully favorable ruling, benefits begin from the claimant's requested onset date. A partially favorable ruling still awards benefits but may adjust the onset to a later date, which affects retroactive payments. The approval rate combines both outcome types. At San Juan, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 58.3%.
How does San Juan compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 2 hearing offices in Puerto Rico, San Juan has the lowest approval rate at 63.1%. In terms of wait time, San Juan ranks 1 of 2 (11 months). Visit the Puerto Rico overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

Continue Exploring

Puerto Rico Offices All Offices All Judges Methodology