Approval rates
Judge Allred maintains a lifetime approval rate of 48% based on 5,631 decisions. Compared to the latest reporting period, the judge's approval rate is 10 percentage points lower than the Tacoma office average of 58% and 10 points below the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket size, providing a stable view of historical decision-making patterns. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Allred's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a 3-year tenure, Judge Allred has demonstrated a fluctuating approval pattern. The data shows an approval rate of 44% in 2016, which rose to 54% in 2017 before adjusting to 48% in 2018. This trend indicates that the judge's decision-making has remained within a consistent range throughout their time on the bench. The recent data reflects a stabilization of these patterns, suggesting a steady approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Allred's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Allred? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma Hearing Office serves you and other applicants across Washington, managing a high volume of disability cases. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 58%. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Tacoma Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Allred is essentially random. Within the Tacoma Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 31% to 72%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the courtroom, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.