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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
NHC CHICAGO
Unassigned regionIllinois hearing outlook
Avg processing
312days
+46 vs national
Processing time
312
10.4 months
Hearing wait
—
Cases pending
1,515
FY receipts
1,294
FY dispositions
2,037
Active judges
10
Video hearings
96%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
55.4%
-2.3 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.64
Shrinking
Rank
Unranked
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 10 judges
14%
86%
0%Median 58.4%100%
At NHC CHICAGO, approval rates range from 14.2% (Sanzi, Thomas) to 85.7% (Thrasher, Richard) — a 72-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 (58.4%), not the best case.
Judges at NHC CHICAGO (10)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thrasher, Richard | 85.7% | 98 | 84 | 14 | |
| Kramzyk, Henry | 64.9% | 114 | 74 | 40 | |
| Martin, John | 63.6% | 247 | 157 | 90 | |
| Valkavich, Helen | 60.0% | 270 | 162 | 108 | |
| Poulose, Mary Ann | 58.8% | 216 | 127 | 89 | |
| Lucas, Brian | 58.1% | 353 | 205 | 148 | |
| Fuller, Roxanne | 53.3% | 90 | 48 | 42 | |
| Bridges, Kathryn | 50.4% | 234 | 118 | 116 | |
| Sharrard, Anne | 48.3% | 174 | 84 | 90 | |
| Sanzi, Thomas | 14.2% | 155 | 22 | 133 |