Approval rates
The approval rate for Howard Kauffman is calculated from a significant docket of 23,353 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at his historical decision-making. In the most recent reporting period, his 40% approval rate trails the Harrisburg office average by 3 percentage points and the national average by 18 percentage points. These metrics serve as a baseline for understanding the local hearing environment, though they do not predict the outcome of 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 Kauffman'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 his 10 years on the bench, Howard Kauffman has maintained a consistent approach to SSDI claims. His yearly approval rates have remained steady, generally fluctuating within a narrow range between 37% and 42% throughout his tenure. The most recent data shows a 40% approval rate, which aligns closely with his long-term historical average. This stability suggests a predictable decision-making pattern that has persisted across his career in both the Valparaiso and Harrisburg offices.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kauffman'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 Kauffman? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Harrisburg hearing office
The Harrisburg Hearing Office serves a large population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims with a team of six administrative law judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 43%, reflecting the regional trends in case outcomes. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical and vocational evidence presented in your file.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Howard Kauffman is essentially random. Within the Harrisburg Hearing Office, the bench features a diverse range of approval rates, spanning from 29% to 65% across the six presiding judges. Because case assignment is outside of your control, understanding the office-wide environment is as important as reviewing any single judge's history.
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.