Approval rates
The following table compares the approval record of Judge Hillegas against the broader Philadelphia Hearing Office and national benchmarks. With 3,676 total dispositions over his career, the data provides a clear view of his decision-making history. These statistics help you understand the landscape of your upcoming hearing. Please note that aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your specific case.
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 Hillegas'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
Throughout his 1 year on the bench, Judge Hillegas has maintained an approval rate of 66%. This performance is higher than the 55% office average in Philadelphia. His docket reflects a consistent approach to evaluating your disability claim. While these numbers provide a useful baseline, the lifetime average reflects the docket as a whole, not a prediction for your individual hearing. An attorney can help you navigate these patterns.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Hillegas'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 Hillegas? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Philadelphia hearing office
The Philadelphia Hearing Office serves a large population in Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of SSDI claims. With 6 judges currently on the bench, the office maintains an average approval rate of 55%. You can expect a formal hearing process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony.
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.