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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PHILADELPHIA EAST
Avg processing
293days
+27 vs national
Processing time
293
9.8 months
Hearing wait
9.5
months (current)
Cases pending
942
FY receipts
865
FY dispositions
979
Active judges
6
Video hearings
54%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
55.5%
-2.2 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.88
Shrinking
Rank
#139
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
40%
72%
0%Median 53.1%100%
At PHILADELPHIA EAST, approval rates range from 39.9% (Lazzaro, Michele) to 72.3% (Preston, Susan) — a 32-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 (53.1%), not the best case.
Judges at PHILADELPHIA EAST (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston, Susan | 72.3% | 256 | 185 | 71 | |
| Wishnoff, Howard | 71.9% | 228 | 164 | 64 | |
| Grunberg, Hope | 66.7% | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Johnson, Jessica Marie | 53.1% | 192 | 102 | 90 | |
| Watson, Nycole | 48.2% | 222 | 107 | 115 | |
| Lazzaro, Michele | 39.9% | 386 | 154 | 232 |