Approval rates
The approval rate for Matthew Malfa is based on 1,997 decisions recorded between December 2016 and September 2025. This record provides a statistical view of past activity at the Manchester Hearing Office. These figures are compared against the range of 44% to 63% observed among the 6 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
Judge Malfa is not in SSA's latest disposition file, so there is no 12-month figure. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 26, 2025. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Judge Malfa isn't in SSA's latest disposition file, so the judge comparison tool, which compares active judges over the same 12 months, leaves them out.
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
Since 2016, Matthew Malfa has maintained a consistent pattern of approvals across 1,997 total decisions. The approval rate began at 92% in 2017 before shifting to a range between 82% and 86% through 2022. In 2023 and 2024, the rate rose to 92% and 91% respectively. The most recent data from 2025 reflects a limited number of decisions.
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.
About the Manchester hearing office
The Manchester Hearing Office serves you in New Hampshire and the surrounding region. The office currently includes 11 judges whose most recent office on record is this location. You can see the Manchester Hearing Office page for the full roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Manchester
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Approval rates vary across the Manchester bench, where the 6 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file range from 44% to 63% on their since-2016 records. There are 11 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 6 of them deciding cases in the latest file.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Matthew Malfa's 86% approval rate on record since 2016 sits above the 44% to 63% range of the 6 judges who decided cases at the Manchester office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of your hearing.
Matthew Malfa's approval rate has fluctuated over time, starting at 92% in 2017, moving to a steady range in the low 80s between 2018 and 2022, and rising above 90% in 2023 and 2024. An attorney can help you understand how these trends relate to your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm to ensure efficiency. An attorney can help you prepare your case regardless of which judge is assigned.
An approval rate is a statistical observation of past decisions, not a prediction for your specific hearing. Your outcome depends primarily on the medical and vocational evidence in your file. An attorney can help you ensure your evidence is presented effectively.
