Approval rates
Judge Bell's approval rate is calculated from 19,851 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge reached a 65% approval rate, which is 1 point above the Buffalo office average and 11 points below the state average. These figures provide insight into how cases are processed, though they do not guarantee any specific outcome for your claim.
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 Bell'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 10-year career, Judge Bell has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a low of 42% in 2022 to a high of 63% in 2024 and 2025. This recent upward trend suggests a shift in the types of cases heard or the evidence presented in recent years. While the lifetime average remains at 54%, the current 65% approval rate indicates a more favorable environment for your claim than in previous years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bell'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 Bell? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Buffalo hearing office
The Buffalo Hearing Office serves you across Western New York, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 53%, reflecting broader regional trends in disability adjudication. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Buffalo Hearing Office page for more information.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Buffalo office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 46% to 56%. Because every judge has a unique approach to evaluating evidence, your experience may vary depending on who is assigned to 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.