Approval rates
Judge Bellamy maintains a lifetime approval rate of 65%, which compares favorably against the national average of 58%. While her recent approval rate is 7 points lower than the Charlotte Hearing Office average, she remains a consistent presence in the region. These figures are derived from 5,881 lifetime decisions, providing a stable statistical baseline for understanding her judicial history. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your 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 Bellamy'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 her 5 years on the bench, Judge Bellamy has seen her approval rates shift from 73% in 2017 to 56% in 2020. This trend reflects an adjustment in her decision-making pattern over time. Such variations are common as judges adapt to changes in Social Security Administration policy and evolving case complexities. The recent data suggests a move toward a more conservative approval stance compared to her earlier tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bellamy'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 Bellamy? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Charlotte hearing office
The Charlotte Hearing Office serves a significant population across North Carolina, managing a high volume of SSDI and SSI claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an office-wide latest approval rate of 72%. You can expect a formal environment where the quality of medical evidence is the primary factor in the outcome of your hearing. You can visit the Charlotte Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Bellamy is essentially random. Across the Charlotte Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 28% to 78%. Because of this wide variance, focus on the strength of your medical documentation regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing. The guidance for your preparation remains consistent regardless of the assigned judge.
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.