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Wilkes Barre Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times

Pennsylvania · SSA Region 03

Approval Rate

44.2%

vs 57.6% national

Wait Time

8 months

vs 8.4 months national

Processing Time

275 days

avg days to decision

Cases Pending

3,998

awaiting hearing

ALJs

11

active judges

Wilkes Barre 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
Therese A. Hardiman 60.3% 39.7% 57.1% 247 312
Edward L. Brady 55.2% 44.8% 48.5% 466 552
Charles A. Dominick 53% 47% 48.8% 449 535
Mike Oleyar 50.2% 49.8% 39.2% 283 328
Timothy Wing 50% 50% 44.7% 416 480
Gerard W. Langan 47.4% 52.6% 36% 422 505
Frank Barletta 45.8% 54.2% 38.3% 504 591
Michele Stolls 43.5% 56.5% 39.6% 437 504
Jarrod Tranguch 37.4% 62.6% 32.1% 436 519
Daniel Balutis 29.2% 70.8% 23.8% 319 385
Michelle Wolfe 20.2% 79.8% 16.5% 401 464

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 44.2%, which is below the national average of 57.6%. 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 20.2% to 60.3%, a 40-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 275 days. There are currently 3,998 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 363 pending cases per judge.

Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 38.6%. 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 275 days average processing time, claimants at Wilkes Barre can expect a total timeline of roughly 17 months from hearing request to decision.

Judges at Wilkes Barre have collectively issued 4,380 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 398 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 247 to 504 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.

Wilkes Barre Hearing Office FAQ

What are my chances of approval at Wilkes Barre?
The average ALJ approval rate at Wilkes Barre is 44.2% 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 20.2% to 60.3%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 38.6%. The national average approval rate is 57.6%.
Who are the Administrative Law Judges at Wilkes Barre?
The Wilkes Barre office has 11 administrative law judges. Decision counts range from 247 to 504 in the 12 months ending July 2026. See the judges table above for individual statistics.
How long do disability cases take at Wilkes Barre?
The current average wait time at Wilkes Barre is 8 months. This is shorter than the national average of 8.4 months. After the hearing, decisions are issued in an average of 275 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 11 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 percentage of approvals at Wilkes Barre are fully favorable?
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 Wilkes Barre, the average fully favorable rate across judges is 38.6%.
How does Wilkes Barre rank among other hearing offices in the state?
Of the 8 hearing offices in Pennsylvania, Wilkes Barre ranks 7 of 8 with an approval rate of 44.2%. In terms of wait time, Wilkes Barre ranks 1 of 8 (8 months). Visit the Pennsylvania overview page for a full comparison of all offices in the state.

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