Santa Barbara Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
California · SSA Region 09
Approval Rate
63.1%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
13 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
510 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
664
awaiting hearing
ALJs
7
active judges
Santa Barbara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katie H Pierce | 100% | N/A | 100% | 1 | 1 |
| Michelle Thompson | 100% | N/A | 85% | 20 | 21 |
| Aubri Masterson | 88.3% | 11.7% | 84.2% | 222 | 283 |
| John W Rolph | 74.4% | 25.6% | 69.8% | 43 | 52 |
| Roger E Winkelman | 67% | 33% | 63.7% | 91 | 107 |
| Henry Koltys | 61.7% | 38.3% | 54.5% | 253 | 309 |
| Tom Duann | 50% | 50% | N/A | 2 | 3 |
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 7 active ALJs.
The office's average approval rate is 63.1%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. The rate aligns with national patterns, though individual judges at this office may vary above or below this average. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 50% to 100%, a 50-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 13 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 510 days. There are currently 664 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 95 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 65.3%. 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 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 13 months and 510 days average processing time, claimants at Santa Barbara can expect a total timeline of roughly 30 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 Santa Barbara have collectively issued 632 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 90 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 1 to 253 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Santa Barbara Hearing Office FAQ
How often are disability cases approved at Santa Barbara?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 50% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 65.3%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
How many ALJs work at Santa Barbara?
What is the average case processing time at Santa Barbara?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 30 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.