Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. While the national average approval rate sits at 58%, Judge Businger has maintained a 50% lifetime approval rate across 13,643 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, their 52% approval rate trailed the local Phoenix North office average by 5 percentage points. 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 Businger'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 an 8-year tenure, Judge Businger has demonstrated a consistent decision-making pattern. Since 2018, the annual approval rate has hovered near the 50% mark, showing minimal volatility despite changes in caseload volume. The most recent data from 2025 shows an approval rate of 53%, suggesting a continuation of this stable, long-term trend. This consistency allows for predictable preparation, as the judge's approach to evidence has remained steady throughout their time on the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Businger'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 Businger? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Phoenix North hearing office
The Phoenix North Hearing Office serves claimants across Arizona, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 55% as of the latest reporting period. If you are appearing here, you should be prepared for a rigorous review of your medical records and vocational history. You can see the Phoenix North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Phoenix North office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 28% to 60%. Because you cannot choose your judge, it is vital to focus on the strength of your own medical documentation and testimony. You can find more information on the Phoenix North 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.