Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to regional and national benchmarks helps you understand the broader landscape of your hearing. Judge Benmour's 51% lifetime rate is 11 percentage points below the San Rafael office average and 7 points below the national average. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 1,791 lifetime decisions, providing a stable view of past performance. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Benmour'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
During her 1 year on the bench, Judge Benmour has maintained an approval rate of 51% across 1,791 lifetime decisions. This consistency suggests a stable approach to case evaluation throughout her tenure. While the latest reporting period shows a variance from the office average, this pattern is common as judges manage diverse case mixes and evidence quality. The data indicates a consistent trend in how decisions have been reached over the course of her career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Benmour'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.
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Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Rafael hearing office
The San Rafael Hearing Office serves a large population in California, managing a high volume of SSDI claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 62%, reflecting the local environment for disability adjudication. You should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical documentation and work history. You can see the San Rafael Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The San Rafael Hearing Office utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your judge is typically assigned at random. The bench at this office is diverse, with lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges ranging from 47% to 79%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is essential to focus on the strength of your medical evidence and testimony. You can review the full office roster on the San Rafael Hearing Office page.
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.