Who decides cases at this office
The panel of 10 judges at this office shows a moderate spread in allowance rates, which range from 36% to 69% with a median of 48%. Because cases are assigned randomly, you cannot choose your judge, and each brings a different perspective to the evidence. This variation means your preparation must be robust enough to satisfy the requirements of any judge on the panel.
| Rank | Judge | Approval Rate | Total Decisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eskunder Boyd | 57% | 27,763 | |
| 2 | Robert A. DiBiccaro | 56% | 4,173 | |
| 3 | Brien Horan | 55% | 6,524 | |
| 4 | I. K. Harrington | 52% | 20,978 | |
| 5 | Deirdre R. Horton | 52% | 22,317 | |
| 6 | Matthew Kuperstein | 47% | 17,469 | |
| 7 | Ronald J. Thomas | 39% | 22,321 | |
| 8 | John T. Molleur | 37% | 15,491 |
Hearing scheduled?
How long you'll wait
At New Haven, the average wait from hearing request to written decision is 8 months— versus a national average of 8 months. Here's how it's tracked month by month over the past 16 months.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Going to your hearing
With an 8-month wait, you have a stable runway to ensure your file is complete before you step into the Connecticut Financial Center. Your hearing will likely involve an ALJ reviewing your testimony and hearing from a vocational expert regarding your ability to perform past or alternative work. You must submit all updated medical records, medication lists, and daily-activity logs well before the deadline, as last-minute evidence is restricted. Because the panel here shows meaningful variation in how they weigh evidence, your file must be self-sufficient and clearly document your functional limitations. You will receive the judge's decision by mail after the hearing concludes.
When an office's allowance rates span over 30 points, the difference between a favorable decision and a denial often comes down to how well you anticipate the vocational expert's testimony. A qualified representative can pressure-test your file against the specific standards used by this panel, ensuring your limitations are clearly defined before you walk into the hearing room.
Field offices that route cases here
If your hearing is at New Haven, your case originated at one of the SSA field offices below — the local intake counter where you (or a representative) filed the initial application. Field offices don't decide hearings, but they hold your file, issue benefit-payment notices, and field the day-to-day questions during your wait.