Approval rates
Comparing approval rates provides context on how a judge's decisions align with broader trends. F. H. Ayer's 57% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, is evaluated against the office, state, and national averages for that same period. These figures are based on 342 decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Ayer'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
Since 2016, F. H. Ayer has issued 3,242 decisions. The yearly approval trend has fluctuated, moving from 50% in 2016 to a high of 66% in 2025 before settling at 55% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. While the rate has seen annual variation, the most recent 12 months sit above the 53% approval rate recorded across the entire period since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ayer'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.
About the Washington hearing office
The Washington hearing office serves the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. This office has 33 judges on record, with 14 of them having decided cases in SSA's latest file as of July 2026. The office maintained a 63% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Washington
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Among the 33 judges whose most recent office on record is Washington, 14 decided cases in SSA's latest file and range from 32% to 87% in approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Ayer's 57%. One of them last decided cases in District of Columbia. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Philadelphia region.
- 53% Approval rate, last 12 months Raghav Kotval
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Jeffrey P. La Vicka
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Margaret M. Gabell
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Sarah Ehasz
- 57% Approval rate, last 12 months Tara J. Posner
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Ayer and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change 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.
Frequently asked questions
F. H. Ayer's 57% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, sits within the range of the 14 judges who decided cases at the Washington office during that same window, which spans from 32% to 87%. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
F. H. Ayer's approval rate has varied year-to-year since 2016, reaching a peak of 66% in 2025 before moving to 55% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. These shifts reflect past decisions, and an attorney can help you understand how your case evidence fits into the current hearing environment.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of your assigned judge.
A judge's approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and your testimony remain the most critical factors in your claim. An attorney can help you prepare your case.
