Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how a judge's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Blum maintains a 58% lifetime approval rate across 1,512 lifetime decisions. This is 9 percentage points below the Oak Park Hearing Office latest average of 67%, though it sits at the national average of 58%.
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 Blum'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 1 year on the bench, Judge Blum has maintained a steady decision pattern. With 1,512 lifetime decisions, his record provides a clear view of his approach to disability claims. The data shows a consistent approval rate of 58% during his tenure, suggesting that his approach to evaluating evidence and medical documentation has remained predictable.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Blum'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 Blum? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Oak Park hearing office
The Oak Park Hearing Office serves a significant volume of claimants across the Illinois region. With a bench of 6 judges, this office manages a high caseload to ensure timely hearings for you. The office-wide latest approval rate is 67%, reflecting the local environment for disability adjudication. You can visit the Oak Park Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Oak Park Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 50% to 80%. Because case assignment is outside of your control, focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective way to prepare.
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.