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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
CHARLESTON SC
Region 04Rank #7 of 160
Avg processing
225days
-41 vs national
Processing time
225
7.5 months
Hearing wait
7.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,856
FY receipts
2,392
FY dispositions
1,760
Active judges
5
Video hearings
0%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
48.8%
-9.0 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.36
Growing
Rank
#7
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
14%
65%
0%Median 57.2%100%
At CHARLESTON SC, approval rates range from 13.9% (Georgian, Tammy) to 65.3% (Diggs, William P) — a 51-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 (57.2%), not the best case.
Judges at CHARLESTON SC (5)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diggs, William P | 65.3% | 395 | 258 | 137 | |
| Healy, Philip | 60.1% | 153 | 92 | 61 | |
| Forbes-Schmitt, Nicole S | 57.2% | 297 | 170 | 127 | |
| Watson, Carl Bennett | 47.8% | 278 | 133 | 145 | |
| Georgian, Tammy | 13.9% | 302 | 42 | 260 |