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Puerto Rico ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 2 hearing offices and 12 administrative law judges in Puerto Rico.

State Approval Rate

70%

vs 57.6% national

Hearing Offices

2

in Puerto Rico

ALJs

12

active judges

Avg Wait Time

8 months

vs 8.4 months national

Hearing Offices in Puerto Rico

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Ponce 3 78.1% N/A 480 days N/A
San Juan 9 68.2% 8 months 325 days 2,718

About Puerto Rico Disability Hearings

Social Security disability hearings in Puerto Rico are conducted across 2 hearing offices in SSA Region 02. A total of 12 Administrative Law Judges are currently assigned to hear cases in the state.

The average approval rate across Puerto Rico hearing offices is 70%, which is above the national average of 57.6%. Higher state-level rates can reflect various factors including case demographics, representation patterns, and the mix of judges across the state's offices.

The hearing office in Puerto Rico has a wait time of 8 months.

Across all offices, there are 2,718 cases currently pending in Puerto Rico, averaging approximately 227 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

Puerto Rico Hearing Landscape

Puerto Rico's 2 hearing offices each serve different geographic areas of the state. Case assignment is based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location and judge assignment depend on where the claimant lives rather than personal preference. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 2 hearing offices, Puerto Rico provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 3 judges at the Ponce hearing office to 9 judges at the San Juan hearing office.

For attorneys practicing disability law in Puerto Rico, 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.

Puerto Rico Disability Hearing FAQ

How often are cases approved in Puerto Rico?
The average ALJ approval rate in Puerto Rico is 70% for the 12 months ending July 2026. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 57.6%, putting Puerto Rico above the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 68.2% to 78.1%.
Where are the disability hearing offices in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has 2 SSA hearing offices with a total of 12 administrative law judges. The largest office is the San Juan hearing office with 9 judges, while the Ponce hearing office has 3. Hearing location is determined by the claimant's home address. Within each office, judges are assigned cases through a rotational scheduling system.
Where in Puerto Rico can I get a disability hearing fastest?
The San Juan hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 8 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?
Puerto Rico's 2 offices handle cases for the state. 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 do Puerto Rico's hearing statistics compare nationally?
Puerto Rico is in SSA Region 02. Its average approval rate of 70% is above the national average of 57.6%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
Why do approval rates vary across offices in Puerto Rico?
Hearing outcomes in Puerto Rico 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.

Puerto Rico's above-average approval rate of 70% may partly reflect higher representation rates or differences in the types of cases that reach the hearing level in this region.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Is it possible to change hearing offices within Puerto Rico?
Hearing location is determined by the claimant's home address. Within each office, judges are assigned cases through a rotational scheduling system. 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. Puerto Rico has 2 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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