Official SSA Data

ALJ Statistics Trends

Historical trends in Social Security disability hearing statistics from October 2023 through September 2025.

Covering FY2024 and FY2025 • 23 months of monthly data

Key Changes FY2024 → FY2025

Approval Rate ↓ -0.1%

58.3%

vs 58.4% in FY2024

Avg Wait Time ↑ -0.5 mo

8 months

vs 8.5 months in FY2024

Active ALJs ↓ -80

1,106

vs 1,186 in FY2024

Total Dispositions ↓ -29,236

393,350

vs 422,586 in FY2024

National Approval Rate Over Time

Fiscal Year Comparison

FY 2024

Oct 2023 - Sep 2024

Approval Rate 58.4%

Active ALJs 1,186

Total Decisions 354,582

Total Awards 207,078

Avg Wait Time 8.5 months

Avg Processing Time 351 days

FY 2025

Current

Approval Rate

58.3% -0.1%

Active ALJs

1,106 -80

Total Decisions 328,805

Total Awards 191,615

Avg Wait Time

8 months -0.5 mo

Avg Processing Time 286 days

Monthly Dispositions

Appeals Pipeline Trends

View Appeals Council Details →

Appeals Council Activity

Federal Court Cases

Understanding These Trends

What This Data Shows

These trends reflect aggregate statistics across all 1,150 Administrative Law Judges at 172 hearing offices. The data comes directly from SSA's public use files.

Monthly fluctuations are normal and can be caused by seasonal patterns, staffing changes, and administrative factors. Year-over-year comparisons provide a more reliable picture of systemic changes.

What This Means for Claimants

National trends provide context but don't predict individual case outcomes. Your case will be decided on its own merits by the specific judge assigned.

For more relevant information, check your specific hearing office or individual judge statistics.

Explore More Statistics

Browse Judges

Search 1,150 ALJs by name or location

Hearing Offices

View 172 offices by wait time

By State

Statistics for all 50 states + DC

Methodology

Data sources and calculations

Frequently Asked Questions

What time period does this trend data cover?

This data covers 23 months from October 2023 through September 2025, spanning two complete fiscal years (FY2024 and FY2025). Data is updated quarterly when SSA releases new statistics. See our methodology page for details.

How has the national approval rate changed?

The national average approval rate has changed by -0.1% from FY2024 to FY2025. Individual judge rates vary significantly from the national average.

What do wait time trends mean for my case?

Average wait times have decreased by 0.5 months from FY2024 to FY2025, which is positive news for claimants. However, wait times vary significantly by hearing office location—check individual office pages for specific estimates.

Why do ALJ statistics vary month-to-month?

Monthly variations occur due to seasonal patterns, staffing changes, case complexity variations, and administrative factors. Fiscal year-end (September) often shows different patterns than other months. For a clearer picture, compare full fiscal year totals rather than individual months.

How does Appeals Council workload affect hearings?

The Appeals Council reviews cases appealed after ALJ decisions. High AC receipts can indicate disagreement with ALJ decisions, while dispositions show the pace of reviews. These trends help understand the broader disability adjudication pipeline.