Approval rates
Judge Ashford has presided over 25,429 lifetime decisions during his 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate reached 52%, which is 2 percentage points below the Toledo OH office average and 7 points below the national average. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of his courtroom history rather than a guarantee of your future outcome.
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 Ashford'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, your judge's approval rate has fluctuated, showing a high of 63% in 2017 and a low of 43% in 2019. The trend has been variable, with a recent rate of 52% in 2025. This pattern suggests that while his baseline remains consistent, yearly shifts in case volume and evidence quality influence annual approval metrics.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ashford'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 Ashford? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Toledo OH hearing office
The Toledo OH Hearing Office serves a significant population across the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With 6 judges on the bench, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 53%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Ashford is essentially random. Across the Toledo OH office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 44% to 51%. Because every judge maintains a unique approach to evidence, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful for your preparation.
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.