Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Benjamin Chaykin's 65% approval rate compares to the Washington office's 63% rate, the state's 58% rate, and the national 58% rate. These figures reflect recent activity at the Washington hearing office.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Chaykin'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
Since 2016, Benjamin Chaykin has issued 3,711 decisions. His approval rate has varied annually, reaching 65% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. This recent rate is higher than his 51% average across the entire record since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Chaykin'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.
About the Washington hearing office
Benjamin Chaykin's most recent office on record is Washington, where he has recorded decisions through July 2026. The office's bench includes 33 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 14 of those judges having recorded decisions in SSA's latest file. The office recorded a 63% approval rate over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Washington
The 14 judges who decided cases at the Washington office in SSA's latest file range from 32% to 87% in approval rates over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. Case assignment is random, and the office's bench consists of 33 judges whose most recent office on record is this one.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Chaykin's 65%. Two of them last decided cases in District of Columbia. With too few close matches there, the rest come from SSA's Philadelphia region.
- 65% Approval rate, last 12 months Hortensia Haaversen
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Malik Cutlar
- 65% Approval rate, last 12 months Steven L. Butler
- 65% Approval rate, last 12 months Anthony Reeves
- 64% Approval rate, last 12 months Melvin G. Olmscheid
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Chaykin and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Benjamin Chaykin's 65% approval rate is higher than the Washington office average of 63%. Among the 14 judges in the office's latest file, approval rates range from 32% to 87% for that period. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing.
Benjamin Chaykin's approval rate has fluctuated, ranging from 45% in 2016 to 65% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. His overall approval rate on the 3,711 decisions recorded since 2016 is 51%. An attorney can help you prepare your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses an automated workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, ensuring random distribution. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends on the medical evidence and documentation you provide. An attorney can help you ensure your evidence is organized to meet SSA standards.
