Approval rates
Judge Blanton maintains an approval rate that consistently exceeds the Seattle Hearing Office average of 58% and the national average of 58%. With a career spanning 6 years and over 12,777 lifetime decisions, his data provides a stable look at his decision-making history. These figures serve as a reflection of past decisions, not a prediction for your specific 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 Blanton'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 his 6 years on the bench, Judge Blanton has maintained a consistent approval pattern. Starting with a 92% rate in 2016, his approval frequency has remained steady, reaching 96% in the most recent reporting period. This stability suggests a predictable approach to evaluating disability claims. The latest period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, indicating that his evidentiary standards have remained largely unchanged throughout his tenure.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Blanton'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 Blanton? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Seattle hearing office
The Seattle Hearing Office serves a large population across Washington, managing a high volume of SSDI cases with a diverse bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 58%, which aligns with the national average. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history when appearing at this office.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Seattle Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 27% to 93%. Because of this variance, the specific judge you draw can influence the context of your hearing. You can find more information on the Seattle 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.