Approval rates
Judge Anderson maintains a lifetime approval rate of 47% based on 2,334 lifetime decisions. In the latest reporting period, her approval rate was 1 percentage point higher than the NHC St Louis office average, though it remained 11 percentage points lower than the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases are processed in this office.
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 Anderson'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 her 2 years on the bench, Judge Anderson has seen a shift in her approval patterns. Her approval rate was 58% in 2016 and 45% in 2017. This trend reflects a change in outcomes over the course of her tenure. Such shifts can occur due to changes in the complexity of the cases assigned or adjustments in evidentiary standards.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Anderson'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 Anderson? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc St Louis hearing office
The NHC St Louis hearing office serves you if you are in the Missouri region. This office manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges who oversee the local caseload. The office currently reports an approval rate of 46%, which is lower than the state average of 52%.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the NHC St Louis bench, lifetime approval rates for the 6 judges range from 41% to 70%. While these variations exist, the fundamental requirements for proving your disability remain consistent.
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.