Approval rates
Judge Blucher's lifetime approval rate of 18% is based on a docket of 9,413 lifetime decisions. His approval rate sits 34 points below the San Antonio office average of 52%, 39 points below the state average of 57%, and 40 points below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's historical decision-making environment.
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 Blucher'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 7-year tenure, Judge Blucher has maintained a consistent pattern of approvals. Starting at 16% in 2016, his annual approval rate has fluctuated, reaching 23% in 2022. With 9,413 lifetime decisions, the data shows a stable approach to case evaluation. The 2022 rate reflects the most recent annual data point in his career.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Blucher'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 Blucher? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Antonio hearing office
The San Antonio Hearing Office serves a large population across Texas. With 6 judges on the bench, the office reports a latest approval rate of 52%. You can visit the San Antonio Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Blucher is essentially random. Within the San Antonio Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 18% to 51%. This variance highlights why understanding the local bench is useful for your preparation.
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.