Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your case. Judge Ayling's lifetime approval rate of 61% is measured against the latest office-wide rate of 54% and the national average of 58%. With over 23,397 decisions on the record, these figures offer a stable view of historical trends. 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 Ayling'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 decade on the bench, Judge Ayling has navigated varying caseloads with a generally steady approval pattern. While the approval rate reached 66% in 2023, recent periods have shown a return toward the mid-range of the career average. This fluctuation is common in the Social Security Administration hearing process and often reflects shifts in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ayling'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 Ayling? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Minneapolis hearing office
The Minneapolis Hearing Office serves you throughout Minnesota and surrounding areas, managing a high volume of disability appeals. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 54%, reflecting the regional trends in SSDI adjudication. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Minneapolis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Minneapolis office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 46% to 67%. Because the judge you draw is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical documentation is the most effective way to prepare.
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.