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Indiana ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 4 hearing offices and 29 administrative law judges in Indiana.

State Approval Rate

58.8%

vs 58.3% national

Hearing Offices

4

in Indiana

ALJs

29

active judges

Avg Wait Time

6.8 months

vs 8 months national

Hearing Offices in Indiana

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Evansville 6 54.8% 6 months 198 days 1,098
Fort Wayne 5 57.5% 6.5 months 221 days 1,046
Indianapolis 12 60.9% 7 months 255 days 2,922
Valparaiso IN 6 59.4% 7 months 260 days 1,180

About Indiana Disability Hearings

Social Security disability hearings in Indiana are conducted across 4 hearing offices in SSA Region 05. A total of 29 Administrative Law Judges are currently assigned to hear cases in the state.

The average approval rate across Indiana hearing offices is 58.8%, which is close to the national average of 58.3%. This rate aggregates decisions from all judges across the state's hearing offices.

Wait times across Indiana offices range from 6 months at the Evansville hearing office to 7 months at the Valparaiso IN hearing office.

Across all offices, there are 6,246 cases currently pending in Indiana, averaging approximately 215 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

Indiana Hearing Landscape

With 4 hearing offices spread across the state, Indiana's disability hearing landscape offers multiple points of comparison for attorneys and claimants. Case assignment is determined by residential address, so the specific office — and the judges at that office — depends on where the claimant lives. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 4 hearing offices, Indiana provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 5 judges at the Fort Wayne hearing office to 12 judges at the Indianapolis hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in Indiana, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

Indiana Disability Hearing FAQ

What is the disability approval rate in Indiana?
The average ALJ approval rate in Indiana is 58.8% for FY 2025. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 58.3%, putting Indiana above the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 54.8% to 60.9%.
How many Social Security hearing offices are in Indiana?
Indiana has 4 SSA hearing offices with a total of 29 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Indianapolis hearing office with 12 judges, while the Fort Wayne hearing office has 5. Hearing location is determined by the claimant's home address. Within each office, judges are assigned cases through a rotational scheduling system.
Which hearing office in Indiana has the shortest wait time?
The Evansville hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 6 months. The longest wait is at the Valparaiso IN hearing office at 7 months, a gap of 1.0 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.
How is state data calculated?
With 29 active judges, Indiana processes a significant caseload. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. All statistics are drawn from publicly available SSA disposition data, updated periodically as new fiscal year reports become available.
How does Indiana compare to other states?
Indiana is in SSA Region 05. Its average approval rate of 58.8% is above the national average of 58.3%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
What factors influence hearing outcomes in Indiana?
Hearing outcomes in Indiana are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns. With 29 active judges across 4 offices, outcomes in Indiana reflect a broad range of judicial decision-making patterns.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Can I transfer my hearing to a different office in Indiana?
Cases are assigned to hearing offices based on the claimant's residential address, and judge assignments within an office are typically made on a rotational basis. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. Indiana has 4 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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