Back to all offices
Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PHILADELPHIA EAST
Region 03Rank #139 of 160
Avg processing
291days
+27 vs national
Processing time
291
9.7 months
Hearing wait
8.5
months (current)
Cases pending
917
FY receipts
724
FY dispositions
863
Active judges
6
Video hearings
54%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
54.5%
-3.3 vs avg
Backlog ratio
0.84
Shrinking
Rank
#139
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 73 daysAvg · 264 daysSlowest · 673 days
The draw · approval spread across 5 judges
39%
72%
0%Median 52.4%100%
At PHILADELPHIA EAST, approval rates range from 39.3% (Lazzaro, Michele) to 72.0% (Preston, Susan) — a 33-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 (52.4%), not the best case.
Judges at PHILADELPHIA EAST (6)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston, Susan | 72.0% | 186 | 134 | 52 | |
| Wishnoff, Howard | 71.4% | 196 | 140 | 56 | |
| Grunberg, Hope | 66.7% | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Johnson, Jessica Marie | 52.4% | 166 | 87 | 79 | |
| Watson, Nycole | 44.7% | 170 | 76 | 94 | |
| Lazzaro, Michele | 39.3% | 303 | 119 | 184 |