Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks helps provide context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Malfa maintains a lifetime approval rate of 87% based on 12,906 decisions, which stands in contrast to the latest national approval rate of 58%. These figures are derived from a decade of service, offering a robust sample size for analysis.
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 Malfa'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, Matthew Malfa has demonstrated a stable and high approval pattern. While the rate fluctuated between 83% and 93% over the last several years, the consistency of these figures suggests a steady approach to evaluating your disability claim. The most recent reporting period shows a 100% approval rate, reflecting a continuation of this long-term trend. These patterns provide insight into how evidence is typically weighed in this courtroom.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Malfa'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 Malfa? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Manchester hearing office
The Manchester Hearing Office serves claimants across New Hampshire, managing a significant volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 59% in the latest reporting period. You can expect a structured environment where thorough medical documentation is essential for a successful outcome. You can see the Manchester Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Across the Manchester Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 46% to 87%. Because each judge brings a unique perspective to the hearing room, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.