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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
HARRISBURG
Avg processing
281days
+15 vs national
Processing time
281
9.4 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,228
FY receipts
2,550
FY dispositions
1,859
Active judges
6
Video hearings
33%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
44.2%
-13.5 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.37
Growing
Rank
#123
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 6 judges
24%
54%
0%Median 51.9%100%
At HARRISBURG, approval rates range from 23.7% (Guida, Richard) to 53.8% (Cutter, Patrick) — a 30-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 (51.9%), not the best case.
Judges at HARRISBURG (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutter, Patrick | 53.8% | 314 | 169 | 145 | |
| Bozarth, Shawn | 53.6% | 224 | 120 | 104 | |
| Begley, David | 53.5% | 155 | 83 | 72 | |
| Staller, Scott M | 50.3% | 390 | 196 | 194 | |
| Kauffman, Howard | 43.1% | 401 | 173 | 228 | |
| Guida, Richard | 23.7% | 414 | 98 | 316 |