Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to office and national benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Cascio has maintained a 56% lifetime approval rate over 19,954 lifetime decisions, while the White Plains Hearing Office currently reports a 67% approval rate. These figures reflect the judge's history within the Social Security Administration system. 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 Cascio'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 a 10-year tenure, Judge Cascio has presided over a significant volume of cases. The yearly trend shows an approval pattern that has shifted upward in the most recent reporting periods, reaching 70% in 2025. This recent divergence from the lifetime average may reflect changes in case mix or evidence quality presented at hearings. Understanding these trends helps you grasp the consistency of the judge's decision-making over time.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Cascio'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 Cascio? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the White Plains hearing office
The White Plains Hearing Office serves a diverse population within the region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an active docket to ensure timely processing of your appeal. You can expect a professional environment focused on the thorough review of your medical and vocational evidence. See the White Plains 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Across the White Plains Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 50% to 74%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the evidence, your preparation remains the most critical factor. 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.