Approval rates
When evaluating your hearing prospects, it is helpful to look at how a judge's history compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Flebbe has maintained a 32% approval rate over her 745 lifetime decisions, which currently trails the Peoria office average of 56% and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for the office, though they do not account for the unique medical evidence in your specific file. 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 Flebbe'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
During her tenure on the bench, Judge Flebbe has maintained a consistent decision pattern. Her lifetime approval rate of 32% reflects the outcomes of 745 decisions rendered during her time in service. Because this data reflects a stable pattern, it serves as a reliable indicator of her historical approach to disability claims. Understanding this trend allows you to better anticipate the level of detail required to support your claim effectively.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Flebbe'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 Flebbe? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Peoria hearing office
The Peoria Hearing Office serves a significant population of claimants across Illinois, managing a high volume of cases with a bench of 6 ALJs. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 56%, reflecting the complex nature of the claims processed in this region. You can visit the Peoria 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 you cannot choose your judge. Within the Peoria Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges who exhibit a wide range of approval rates, spanning from 32% to 67% over their respective careers. While these differences exist, the core requirements for proving disability remain consistent across the entire office. 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.