Back to all offices
Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
KNOXVILLE
Region 04Rank #102 of 160
Avg processing
268days
+2 vs national
Processing time
268
8.9 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,672
FY receipts
1,497
FY dispositions
955
Active judges
7
Video hearings
49%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
46.9%
-10.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.57
Growing
Rank
#102
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 6 judges
12%
75%
0%Median 52.0%100%
At KNOXVILLE, approval rates range from 12.0% (Francis, Joyce) to 75.2% (Jones, Stephanie M) — a 63-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 (52.0%), not the best case.
Judges at KNOXVILLE (7)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones, Stephanie M | 75.2% | 109 | 82 | 27 | |
| Dixon, James | 63.2% | 253 | 160 | 93 | |
| Spangler, Todd | 54.1% | 159 | 86 | 73 | |
| Firestone, Scott | 50.0% | 118 | 59 | 59 | |
| Burton, Benjamin | 44.3% | 212 | 94 | 118 | |
| Grissom, K Dickson | 33.3% | 6 | 2 | 4 | |
| Francis, Joyce | 12.0% | 233 | 28 | 205 |