Back to all offices
Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
BIRMINGHAM
Avg processing
247days
-19 vs national
Processing time
247
8.2 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,355
FY receipts
2,585
FY dispositions
2,676
Active judges
8
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
49.1%
-8.7 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.97
Shrinking
Rank
#49
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 8 judges
35%
75%
0%Median 49.3%100%
At BIRMINGHAM, approval rates range from 35.0% (Merchant, George W.) to 75.1% (Turner, Brian) — a 40-pointspread. Assignment is effectively the luck of the draw, so the judge a case lands with can matter more than the office’s average. Plan for the median (49.3%), not the best case.
Judges at BIRMINGHAM (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turner, Brian | 75.1% | 374 | 281 | 93 | |
| Waller, Robert | 60.7% | 61 | 37 | 24 | |
| Jackson, Monica D | 57.6% | 335 | 193 | 142 | |
| Kraft, Emilie | 54.5% | 385 | 210 | 175 | |
| Johnson, Lisa M | 44.1% | 297 | 131 | 166 | |
| Helmer, Mary E | 40.3% | 347 | 140 | 207 | |
| Guthrie, Clarence | 37.4% | 446 | 167 | 279 | |
| Merchant, George W. | 35.0% | 409 | 143 | 266 |