Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's 48% approval rate covers the entire period since 2016, the latest-period data allows for a direct comparison against the Wilkes Barre office average. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded a 46% approval rate, which is 1 percentage point above the office-wide average of 45%. These figures reflect past decisions rather than 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 Barletta'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 January 2016, the judge has issued 4,173 decisions. The yearly approval trend shows fluctuations, moving from 50% in 2016 to 46% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This pattern indicates a steady approach to case evaluation over the last decade. The latest-period approval rate of 46% remains consistent with the long-term average, suggesting that the decision-making process has remained stable despite variations in annual case volume.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Barletta'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 Wilkes Barre hearing office
Frank Barletta's most recent office on record is the Wilkes Barre hearing office, which serves the surrounding region in Pennsylvania. This office maintains a bench of 13 judges who handle a diverse range of disability claims. With an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 45%, you can expect a review of your medical evidence and vocational history. You can see the Wilkes Barre hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Wilkes Barre
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. At the Wilkes Barre hearing office, there are 13 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, 11 of whom decided cases in the latest SSA file. Approval rates among this bench range from 27% to 57% based on their records since 2016. Your preparation remains the same regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
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
Judge Barletta's 48% approval rate since 2016 falls within the range of 27% to 57% observed among the 13 judges whose most recent office on record is Wilkes Barre. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare your case to meet the specific evidentiary standards of this hearing office.
The approval rate has seen minor annual fluctuations, starting at 50% in 2016 and reaching 46% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This indicates a generally steady pattern of decision-making over the last decade. A qualified attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your specific medical documentation.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges at the Wilkes Barre hearing office. Since you cannot choose your judge, working with an attorney can help you prepare for any hearing scenario.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where the judge reviews your medical records and may hear testimony from you and vocational or medical experts. The judge's goal is to determine if your condition meets SSA disability criteria. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your evidence to present the strongest possible case.
An approval rate is a probability based on past decisions and is not a prediction for your specific hearing. Judge Barletta's 48% rate since 2016 reflects the outcomes of 4,173 decisions, but your individual result depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence. An attorney can help you ensure your case is fully developed before you appear.
