Approval rates
Comparing a judge's lifetime performance against current office and national benchmarks provides context for your hearing. Judge Helget has presided over 31,476 decisions during 10 years on the bench. While the latest reporting period shows an approval rate of 50%, this remains 15 points below the national average of 58%. 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 Helget'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 decade on the bench, your judge's decision pattern has shown a gradual evolution. Starting with a 36% approval rate in 2016, the data indicates an upward trend, reaching 51% in 2024 before settling at 50% in the most recent period. This recent performance represents a shift from the lower rates observed earlier in the judge's tenure. Such trends often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Helget'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 Helget? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Houston North hearing office
The Houston North Hearing Office serves a significant population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 57%, which is slightly below the national average. You can expect a review process focused on detailed medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Houston North Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge Helget is random. Within the Houston North Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 34% to 62%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is the most effective strategy for any hearing. You can find more information on the Houston North Hearing Office page.
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.