Approval rates
Peter Kafkas maintains a lifetime approval rate of 51% based on 18,860 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 59%, compared to an office average of 63% and a national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding how cases are processed at this office. 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 Kafkas'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 10 years on the bench, Peter Kafkas has seen his approval rates fluctuate, reaching a low of 40% in 2019 before trending to 60% in 2025. His 18,860 lifetime decisions reflect a career that began in Milwaukee before his tenure in Florida. This pattern indicates that his approach is responsive to the specific evidentiary standards of current claims.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kafkas'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 Kafkas? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the St Petersburg Fl Oho hearing office
The St Petersburg FL OHO manages a high volume of disability hearings. The office maintains a latest approval rate of 63%, reflecting regional trends in SSDI adjudication. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical documentation and vocational evidence. You can see the St Petersburg FL OHO 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 you cannot choose your judge. At the St Petersburg FL OHO, the 6 ALJs range from 38% to 75% in lifetime approval rates. Because of this variance, the judge you are assigned can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of your assigned judge.
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.