Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Benton maintains a lifetime approval rate of 46%, which aligns with the latest office-wide average of 46% but trails the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 22,887 lifetime decisions, offering a reliable look at historical trends. 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 Benton'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 has seen fluctuations in approval rates, ranging from a low of 38% in 2016 to a high of 55% in 2023. The data shows a pattern of variability, with the most recent period showing a 49% approval rate. This latest figure suggests a return toward the lifetime average after a period of moderate volatility. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the specific medical evidence presented during a given year.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Benton'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 Benton? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Nhc St Louis hearing office
The NHC St Louis Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across Missouri and the surrounding region. This office manages a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 judges, maintaining an office-wide latest approval rate of 46%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on the objective medical evidence supporting your disability claim. You can visit the NHC St Louis Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the NHC St Louis Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 41% to 78%. Because you cannot choose your judge, focusing on the strength of your medical documentation is the most effective way to prepare. The guidance for your hearing remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.