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Updated June 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PITTSBURGH
Region 03Rank #123 of 160
Avg processing
281days
+15 vs national
Processing time
281
9.4 months
Hearing wait
9.0
months (current)
Cases pending
2,745
FY receipts
2,684
FY dispositions
1,964
Active judges
7
Video hearings
22%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
49.8%
-8.0 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 7 judges
29%
62%
0%Median 50.6%100%
At PITTSBURGH, approval rates range from 29.2% (Perry-Dowdell, Leslie) to 61.9% (Hostovich, Julianne) — 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 (50.6%), not the best case.
Judges at PITTSBURGH (7)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostovich, Julianne | 61.9% | 168 | 104 | 64 | |
| Papazekos, Joanna | 61.0% | 205 | 125 | 80 | |
| Ehasz, Sarah | 58.1% | 267 | 155 | 112 | |
| Kaczmarek, Michael | 50.6% | 239 | 121 | 118 | |
| Kovac, Paul | 46.1% | 271 | 125 | 146 | |
| Bareford, Christian | 41.0% | 256 | 105 | 151 | |
| Perry-Dowdell, Leslie | 29.2% | 168 | 49 | 119 |