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Updated July 2026 · SSA Public
State Profile
Virginia
VA · Region PHL
DDS approval rate
43.7%
+3.9 pts vs national
DDS approval rate
43.7%
National: 39.8%
3-year change
-0.4 pts
Annual receipts
42,174
FY2024
Hearing offices
5
25 ALJs
Latest monthly DDS data · 2026-07
Initial receipts
4,913
Initial determinations
4,461
Initial allowance rate
36.5%
Initial pending
15,382
Recon determinations
1,216
Recon allowance rate
17.0%
Hearing offices in Virginia
| Office | Rank | Processing days | Pending | Approval | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROANOKE | 55 | 248 | 1,281 | 53.9% | 4 |
| CHARLOTTESVILLE | 72 | 255 | 1,530 | 51.0% | 5 |
| RICHMOND | 88 | 260 | 1,809 | 45.1% | 5 |
| NORFOLK | 123 | 281 | 2,424 | 54.7% | 7 |
| NHC FALLS CHURCH | — | 346 | 0 | 42.2% | 4 |
ALJs in Virginia (25)
Sorted by approval rate.
| Judge | Office | Approval | Decisions | Awards | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson, Michelle | LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN | 86.6% | 328 | 284 | |
| Scruton, Joseph T | ROANOKE | 69.8% | 328 | 229 | |
| Schueler, Jeffrey J | ROANOKE | 68.4% | 19 | 13 | |
| Galloway, Christopher | NORFOLK | 62.9% | 197 | 124 | |
| Pflugrath, William | NORFOLK | 62.5% | 208 | 130 | |
| Flynn, Monica | NORFOLK | 61.1% | 180 | 110 | |
| Carr, Michael | SPECIAL REVIEW CADRE | 58.7% | 46 | 27 | |
| Johnson, Anthony J | RICHMOND | 58.7% | 276 | 162 | |
| Erwin, Thomas W | ROANOKE | 58.6% | 307 | 180 | |
| Eklund, Eric | RICHMOND | 56.6% | 304 | 172 | |
| Baker, Mark | RICHMOND | 55.8% | 278 | 155 | |
| Hannan, Bonnie | WASHINGTON | 54.5% | 345 | 188 | |
| Bright, Maryann | NORFOLK | 53.8% | 314 | 169 | |
| Jordan, Jeffrey | NORFOLK | 52.0% | 327 | 170 | |
| Gendreau, Chad | NORFOLK | 51.6% | 343 | 177 | |
| Matula, Carol | NORFOLK | 47.4% | 312 | 148 | |
| Rippel, Brian | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 47.3% | 374 | 177 | |
| Moore, Carol | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 47.0% | 217 | 102 | |
| Foster, Nicolas R. | RICHMOND | 46.5% | 361 | 168 | |
| Koclanes, Peter N | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 43.1% | 399 | 172 | |
| Moldafsky, Gregory | NHC FALLS CHURCH | 36.1% | 202 | 73 | |
| Gabello, James | ROANOKE | 32.5% | 326 | 106 | |
| Kim, T. | NHC FALLS CHURCH | 30.6% | 324 | 99 | |
| Munday, H | CHARLOTTESVILLE | 30.5% | 311 | 95 | |
| Knight, Suzette | RICHMOND | 15.9% | 365 | 58 |
Next step
Estimate approval odds
See SSA historical approval base rates for a Virginia claim by condition, age, and stage.