Approval rates
Evaluating a judge's history requires looking at the broader context of their career. Judge Benedict has maintained a 47% approval rate over a decade of service. When compared to the latest office-wide approval rate of 57% and the national average of 58%, his recent decisions show a distinct pattern. 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 Benedict'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 10 years on the bench, your judge's approval rate has remained relatively steady, showing minor fluctuations rather than sharp shifts. While his lifetime average stands at 47%, his performance in the most recent reporting period reached 48%. This consistency suggests a stable approach to evaluating your disability claim. The data reflects a career-long pattern of deliberation that has held across multiple hearing offices.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Benedict'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 Benedict? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Metairie hearing office
The Metairie Hearing Office serves a significant population across Louisiana, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 57% in the most recent reporting period. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence supporting your claim. You can visit the Metairie 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 a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Metairie Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 43% to 62%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical documentation remains 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.