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Updated June 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 · 2026-03
Initial receipts
3,337
Initial determinations
3,398
Initial allowance rate
30.1%
Initial pending
16,287
Recon determinations
1,386
Recon allowance rate
15.5%
Hearing offices in Arizona
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 103 | 268 | 1,458 | 62.5% | 6 |
| TUCSON | 141 | 298 | 1,516 | 74.7% | 6 |
| PHOENIX NORTH | 158 | 352 | 1,155 | 60.7% | 6 |
ALJs in Arizona (15)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson, Larry E | TUCSON | 85.3% | 265 | 226 | |
| Suing, Timothy | HOUSTON WEST | 77.3% | 22 | 17 | |
| Davis, Charles | TUCSON | 76.5% | 264 | 202 | |
| Gaffney, John | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 76.0% | 321 | 244 | |
| Armbruster, Ted | PHOENIX NORTH | 75.9% | 257 | 195 | |
| Chen, TinTin | TUCSON | 75.4% | 142 | 107 | |
| Fletcher, Guy E. | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 72.8% | 158 | 115 | |
| Baum, Peter | RENO | 68.4% | 212 | 145 | |
| Paternoster, Sasha | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 61.5% | 91 | 56 | |
| Elias, Yasmin | PHOENIX NORTH | 58.0% | 50 | 29 | |
| Businger, Thomas | PHOENIX NORTH | 53.7% | 67 | 36 | |
| Walls, Kelly | PHOENIX NORTH | 50.3% | 189 | 95 | |
| Waters, Carla L | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 43.6% | 202 | 88 | |
| Bucci, Patricia A | PHOENIX NORTH | 34.4% | 64 | 22 | |
| Alegre, Dante M. | PHOENIX DOWNTOWN | 30.1% | 176 | 53 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Arizona claim by condition, age, and stage.