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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
PITTSBURGH
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
49.5%
-8.3 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
28%
63%
0%Median 52.0%100%
At PITTSBURGH, approval rates range from 28.2% (Perry-Dowdell, Leslie) to 63.1% (Hostovich, Julianne) — a 35-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 PITTSBURGH (7)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostovich, Julianne | 63.1% | 195 | 123 | 72 | |
| Papazekos, Joanna | 62.2% | 241 | 150 | 91 | |
| Ehasz, Sarah | 57.1% | 296 | 169 | 127 | |
| Kaczmarek, Michael | 52.0% | 246 | 128 | 118 | |
| Kovac, Paul | 43.6% | 307 | 134 | 173 | |
| Bareford, Christian | 39.2% | 306 | 120 | 186 | |
| Perry-Dowdell, Leslie | 28.2% | 174 | 49 | 125 |