Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Andreas maintains a lifetime approval rate of 48%, which trails the Cleveland Hearing Office average of 53% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 21,579 decisions, offering a stable view of his historical approach. You can find more information on the Cleveland Hearing Office page.
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 Andreas'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 his 10 years on the bench, Judge Andreas has seen his approval rates shift notably. While his early years showed rates in the low-to-mid 40% range, he experienced a marked increase in approvals during 2023 and 2024, reaching 58% in both years. The most recent data from 2025 shows a return to 50%, suggesting that his decision-making remains responsive to changing case volumes and evidence quality. This trend indicates that while his lifetime average is 48%, your recent output reflects a more varied pattern of outcomes.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Andreas'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 Andreas? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves a large population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an overall latest approval rate of 53%. You should expect a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history during your appearance. You can visit the Cleveland Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 44% to 65%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare for your hearing.
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.