Approval rates
The approval rates for Amy Benton reflect a specific window of activity, which can be compared against the broader performance of the Elkins Park office. While the office-wide lifetime approval-rate range spans from 33% to 82%, your individual judge's performance fluctuates based on the evidence presented in your unique case. These figures are derived from 15 lifetime decisions, providing a baseline for understanding the judicial environment. 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
Amy Benton has 15 lifetime decisions on record. The data shows a 33% approval rate during this period. Because the SSA assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, your assignment is essentially random, and the pattern observed in these decisions is not a guarantee of your future outcome.
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.
About the Elkins Park hearing office
The Elkins Park hearing office serves you throughout Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. This office maintains a bench of 25 judges on record, with an office-wide latest-period approval rate of 61%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on the medical and vocational evidence supporting your disability claim. You can see the Elkins Park hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Elkins Park hearing office is staffed by 25 judges on record, 11 of whom reported activity in the latest period. Because cases are distributed via a workload-balancing algorithm, you have no control over which judge is assigned to your hearing. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 33% to 82% on lifetime records. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Amy Benton has a lifetime approval rate of 33% across 15 decisions. This sits within the broader office-wide lifetime approval-rate range of 33% to 82% observed among the 25 judges on record at this office. An attorney can help you understand how to present your medical evidence effectively before this judge.
The data for Amy Benton shows a 33% approval rate over 15 lifetime decisions. This rate has remained steady throughout the available reporting period. A qualified attorney can help you evaluate how these trends might relate to the specific evidence in your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, making the process random. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned.
A judge's approval rate is a reflection of past decisions and is not a prediction of how they will rule on your specific claim. Your success depends primarily on the quality of the medical and vocational evidence you provide. An attorney can help you build a strong case tailored to the requirements of an SSDI hearing.