Wilkes Barre Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Pennsylvania · SSA Region 03
Approval Rate
45.9%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
8 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
315 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
2,794
awaiting hearing
ALJs
11
active judges
Wilkes Barre 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Therese A Hardiman | 61.8% | 38.2% | 59.6% | 280 | 361 |
| Charles A Dominick | 55.2% | 44.8% | 49.9% | 415 | 485 |
| Edward L Brady | 54.7% | 45.3% | 48.7% | 386 | 454 |
| Mike Oleyar | 53.9% | 46.1% | 43.8% | 178 | 202 |
| Frank Barletta | 49.4% | 50.6% | 42.9% | 443 | 499 |
| Timothy Wing | 48.8% | 51.2% | 43.2% | 324 | 374 |
| Michele Stolls | 47.7% | 52.3% | 40.7% | 369 | 428 |
| Gerard W Langan | 47% | 53% | 36.7% | 381 | 440 |
| Jarrod Tranguch | 37.2% | 62.8% | 30.3% | 366 | 443 |
| Michelle Wolfe | 29.3% | 70.7% | 23.9% | 314 | 373 |
| Daniel Balutis | 22.8% | 77.2% | 16.8% | 298 | 366 |
About the Wilkes Barre Social Security Hearing Office
The Wilkes Barre hearing office is part of the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings Operations in Pennsylvania. This office is in SSA Region 03 and currently has 11 administrative law judges who hear disability appeals. With 11 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 45.9%, which is below the national average of 58.3%. Approval rates are influenced by many factors including case mix, quality of representation, and individual judge decision-making patterns. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 22.8% to 61.8%, a 39-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 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 315 days. There are currently 2,794 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 254 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 39.7%. A fully favorable decision awards benefits from the claimant's requested onset date, while a partially favorable decision may set a later onset date. Both count toward the overall approval rate.
How to Interpret Wilkes Barre Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at Wilkes Barre, 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 315 days average processing time, claimants at Wilkes Barre can expect a total timeline of roughly 19 months from hearing request to decision.
Judges at Wilkes Barre have collectively issued 3,754 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 341 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 178 to 443 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
Wilkes Barre Hearing Office FAQ
What are my chances of approval at Wilkes Barre?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 22.8% to 61.8%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 39.7%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Wilkes Barre?
How long do disability cases take at Wilkes Barre?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 19 months. Wait times are snapshots from the most recent SSA data release and can shift as caseloads, staffing, and scheduling capacity change.