Approval rates
The approval rate for Scott R. Canfield is 28% over 6,742 lifetime decisions. When compared to the latest reporting period, his rate remains distinct from the Cleveland Hearing Office average of 53% and the national average of 58%. These metrics are based on a substantial volume of cases, providing a clear view of historical trends. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
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 Canfield'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 4 years on the bench, Judge Canfield has maintained a consistent pattern of decision-making. His yearly approval trends show an initial rate of 18% in 2016, followed by a period of higher approvals in 2017 and 2018, before settling back to 31% in 2019. This fluctuation is common and often reflects changes in the types of cases or the quality of evidence presented. The recent data suggests a stable approach to evaluating your disability claim.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Canfield'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 Canfield? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Cleveland hearing office
The Cleveland Hearing Office serves a large population across Ohio, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an approval rate of 53%, reflecting the diverse nature of cases heard in this region. You can expect a formal legal proceeding where your medical documentation is the primary focus. See the Cleveland Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
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 Cleveland Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 28% to 65%. Because of this variance, it is important to focus on the strength of your medical evidence. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.