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Tampa Oho Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Florida · SSA Region 04

Approval Rate

58.6%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

259 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

5,135

awaiting hearing

ALJs

13

active judges

Tampa Oho 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
Carl C. McGhee 72.8% 27.2% 66% 356 424
Robert Ballieu 69.9% 30.1% 63.6% 239 281
Melissa J. McIntosh 68.2% 31.8% 58.7% 421 499
Gonzalo Vallecillo 63.7% 36.3% 54.1% 157 188
Margaret Craig 63.4% 36.6% 58.5% 328 384
Barbara Zanotti 62.2% 37.8% 54.2% 378 456
Shirley Marzan 57% 43% 51% 400 482
John Dawkins 54.9% 45.1% 47.6% 410 509
Christopher Messina 50% 50% 50% 2 2
Ryan Kirzner 49% 51% 40% 400 487
Philip Healy 42.9% 57.1% 14.3% 7 8
Glen H. Watkins 39.5% 60.5% 34.8% 451 543
Amber Downs 36.4% 63.6% 31.8% 132 156

About the Tampa Oho Social Security Hearing Office

The Tampa Oho hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Florida. This office is in SSA Region 04 and currently has 13 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 13 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 58.6%, which is near the national average of 57.6%. This rate represents the aggregate of all judge decisions at the office and includes both fully favorable and partially favorable outcomes. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 36.4% to 72.8%, a 36-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.

The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 8 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 259 days. There are currently 5,135 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 395 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 48.0%. 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 Tampa Oho Hearing Office Data

Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Tampa Oho, 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 8 months and 259 days average processing time, claimants at Tampa Oho can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Tampa Oho have collectively issued 3,681 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 283 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 451 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Tampa Oho Hearing Office FAQ

What is the approval rate at Tampa Oho?
The average ALJ approval rate at Tampa Oho is 58.6% 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 36.4% to 72.8%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 48.0%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Which judges hear cases at Tampa Oho?
The Tampa Oho office has 13 administrative law judges. Of these, 11 have issued 50 or more decisions in the 12 months ending July 2026. Decision counts range from 2 to 451 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long is the wait time at Tampa Oho?
The current average wait time at Tampa Oho is 8 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 259 days.

From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 17 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.
How is office data calculated?
With 13 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. Data originates from SSA public use files and is refreshed as new reports are published throughout the fiscal year.
What is the fully favorable rate at Tampa Oho?
A fully favorable decision means the claimant is awarded benefits starting from the onset date they originally claimed. A partially favorable decision also awards benefits, but may set a later onset date than requested. Both types count toward the overall approval rate. The distinction is important because onset date determines how far back retroactive benefits extend. At Tampa Oho, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 48.0%.
How does Tampa Oho compare to other offices in the state?
Of the 8 hearing offices in Florida, Tampa Oho ranks 6 of 8 with an approval rate of 58.6%. In terms of wait time, Tampa Oho ranks 1 of 8 (8 months). Visit the Florida overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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