Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's overall approval rate since 2022 is 60%, recent data from the latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 65%. This latest-period figure sits 8 percentage points above the Providence office average of 57%. With a docket of 1,254 decisions on record, these figures provide a stable view of past activity.
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 Dana'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
The approval trend for Kate Dana has shown notable movement since 2022. After an approval rate of 48% in 2023, the rate rose to 61% in 2024, 60% in 2025, and has reached 65% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. This pattern reflects a consistent volume of activity across 1,254 total decisions on record.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Dana'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 Providence hearing office
Kate Dana's most recent office on record is the Providence hearing office, with decisions there through July 2026. This office serves you if you are located throughout Rhode Island and the surrounding region. The bench consists of 11 judges, and the office-wide approval rate in the latest period was 57%.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Providence
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Providence hearing office, there are 11 judges whose most recent office on record is this one. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 32% to 75% on their records.
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
In the latest reporting period, Kate Dana's approval rate of 65% is 8 percentage points higher than the Providence office average of 57%. Because case assignment is random, an attorney can help you prepare a case that meets the specific evidentiary standards of this bench.
Yes, the approval rate has shifted over time. It began at 48% in 2023 and has trended to 65% in the partial 2026 fiscal year. An attorney can help you navigate these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to ensure efficiency. Since you cannot choose your judge, working with an attorney is the best way to ensure your case is prepared for any outcome.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical records and hears testimony. You may be questioned by the judge or a vocational expert about your ability to perform work. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your evidence before the hearing date.
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 primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and how well it aligns with SSA disability criteria. An attorney can help you evaluate the strength of your evidence.
