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Santa Barbara Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

California · SSA Region 09

Approval Rate

68.1%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

9 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

295 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

850

awaiting hearing

ALJs

6

active judges

Santa Barbara 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
Michelle Thompson 100% N/A 88.2% 17 19
Aubri G Masterson 90.8% 9.2% 86.2% 260 327
Timothy Suing 76.9% 23.1% 61.5% 13 14
Roger E Winkelman 64.4% 35.6% 63.5% 104 133
Yasmin Elias 58.3% 41.7% 50% 12 14
Henry Koltys 48.2% 51.8% 46% 278 334

Former Judges at Santa Barbara

This judge has no recorded decisions at Santa Barbara 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
Mary L Everstine December 2023 48.9% 47

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 Santa Barbara Social Security Hearing Office

Claimants in the Santa Barbara service area have their Social Security disability appeals heard at this office, one of the hearing locations in California. The office is assigned to SSA Region 09 and has 6 active ALJs.

The office's average approval rate is 68.1%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. This rate emerges from the aggregate of individual judge decisions and should be understood in the context of local case demographics and representation patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 48.2% to 100%, a 52-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 9 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 295 days. There are currently 850 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 142 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 65.9%. 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 Santa Barbara Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Santa Barbara, 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 months and 295 days average processing time, claimants at Santa Barbara can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Santa Barbara have collectively issued 684 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 114 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 12 to 278 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Santa Barbara Hearing Office FAQ

How often are disability cases approved at Santa Barbara?
The average ALJ approval rate at Santa Barbara is 68.1% 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 48.2% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 65.9%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
How many ALJs work at Santa Barbara?
The Santa Barbara office has 6 administrative law judges. Of these, 3 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 12 to 278 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
What is the average case processing time at Santa Barbara?
The current average wait time at Santa Barbara is 9 months. This is longer than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 295 days.

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?
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.
How often do judges at Santa Barbara issue fully favorable decisions?
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 Santa Barbara, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 65.9%.
Is Santa Barbara's approval rate higher or lower than nearby offices?
Of the 17 hearing offices in California, Santa Barbara ranks 2 of 17 with an approval rate of 68.1%. In terms of wait time, Santa Barbara ranks 7 of 17 (9 months). Visit the California overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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