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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
State Profile
Arizona
AZ · Region SFO
DDS approval rate
33.5%
-6.3 pts vs national
DDS approval rate
33.5%
National: 39.8%
3-year change
+2.1 pts
Annual receipts
40,572
FY2024
Hearing offices
3
15 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-07
Initial receipts
4,322
Initial determinations
4,002
Initial allowance rate
30.2%
Initial pending
16,349
Recon determinations
1,103
Recon allowance rate
15.0%
Hearing offices in Arizona
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 113 | 273 | 1,507 | 61.2% | 6 |
| TUCSON | 143 | 296 | 1,627 | 73.5% | 6 |
| PHOENIX NORTH | 158 | 350 | 825 | 60.4% | 6 |
ALJs in Arizona (15)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson, Larry E | TUCSON | 84.1% | 290 | 244 | |
| Suing, Timothy | HOUSTON WEST | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | |
| Chen, TinTin | TUCSON | 76.0% | 208 | 158 | |
| Armbruster, Ted | PHOENIX NORTH | 75.9% | 257 | 195 | |
| Gaffney, John | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 75.3% | 381 | 287 | |
| Davis, Charles | TUCSON | 75.1% | 329 | 247 | |
| Fletcher, Guy E. | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 72.8% | 158 | 115 | |
| Baum, Peter | RENO | 67.4% | 236 | 159 | |
| Paternoster, Sasha | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 59.1% | 137 | 81 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | PHOENIX NORTH | 58.8% | 51 | 30 | |
| Businger, Thomas | PHOENIX NORTH | 53.7% | 67 | 36 | |
| Walls, Kelly | PHOENIX NORTH | 52.1% | 261 | 136 | |
| Waters, Carla L | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 46.6% | 264 | 123 | |
| Bucci, Patricia A | PHOENIX NORTH | 34.4% | 64 | 22 | |
| Alegre, Dante M. | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 31.2% | 253 | 79 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Arizona claim by condition, age, and stage.