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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
BIRMINGHAM
Region 04Rank #47 of 160
Avg processing
245days
-19 vs national
Processing time
245
8.2 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,356
FY receipts
2,247
FY dispositions
2,337
Active judges
8
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
49.9%
-7.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.96
Shrinking
Rank
#47
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 8 judges
35%
74%
0%Median 51.2%100%
At BIRMINGHAM, approval rates range from 35.3% (Merchant, George W.) to 74.2% (Turner, Brian) — a 39-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 (51.2%), not the best case.
Judges at BIRMINGHAM (8)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turner, Brian | 74.2% | 283 | 210 | 73 | |
| Waller, Robert | 62.5% | 48 | 30 | 18 | |
| Jackson, Monica D | 57.2% | 264 | 151 | 113 | |
| Kraft, Emilie | 54.4% | 307 | 167 | 140 | |
| Johnson, Lisa M | 47.9% | 215 | 103 | 112 | |
| Helmer, Mary E | 41.6% | 255 | 106 | 149 | |
| Guthrie, Clarence | 39.6% | 351 | 139 | 212 | |
| Merchant, George W. | 35.3% | 317 | 112 | 205 |