Approval rates
Comparing a judge's approval rate to broader benchmarks helps you understand the environment of your upcoming hearing. Judge Kumpe maintains a 74% lifetime approval rate, which stands in contrast to the national average of 58%. With 5,825 lifetime decisions, this data provides a stable look at his adjudicative history. 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 Kumpe'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 3 years on the bench, Judge Kumpe saw his approval rate shift from 79% in 2016 to 71% in 2017 and 67% in 2018. This trend reflects a gradual adjustment in decision outcomes over the course of his tenure. Such variations are common as judges refine their approach to the evidence presented in complex disability claims. These data points suggest a stabilization in his decision-making pattern.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kumpe'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 Kumpe? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Creve Coeur hearing office
The Creve Coeur Hearing Office serves a diverse population of claimants across the region, managing a high volume of SSDI cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office operates under the standard SSA guidelines for disability adjudication. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can view the Creve Coeur Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases through a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your specific judge is assigned randomly. At the Creve Coeur Hearing Office, the bench features a wide range of approval rates, spanning from 38% to 84% across the 6 judges currently serving. This variance highlights why the specific judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. You can find more information on the office's general operations on the Creve Coeur 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.