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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
Hearing Office
TOPEKA KS
Avg processing
236days
-30 vs national
Processing time
236
7.9 months
Hearing wait
8.0
months (current)
Cases pending
1,376
FY receipts
1,595
FY dispositions
1,209
Active judges
4
Video hearings
40%
of hearings held
Avg approval rate
43.8%
-13.9 vs avg
Backlog ratio
1.32
Growing
Rank
#21
of 160
Processing time in context
Fastest · 72 daysAvg · 266 daysSlowest · 680 days
The draw · approval spread across 4 judges
37%
66%
0%Median 41.6%100%
At TOPEKA KS, approval rates range from 37.2% (Johnson, Scott) to 65.5% (Hardy, Pearline) — a 28-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 (41.6%), not the best case.
Judges at TOPEKA KS (4)
| Judge | Approval | Decisions | Favorable | Denied | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardy, Pearline | 65.5% | 177 | 116 | 61 | |
| Burrichter, Michael | 44.0% | 323 | 142 | 181 | |
| Tran, Lauren K | 39.2% | 362 | 142 | 220 | |
| Johnson, Scott | 37.2% | 339 | 126 | 213 |