Approval rates
Judge Mantel has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 46% over her 10-year tenure. In the most recent reporting period, her approval rate was 43%, which is 7 percentage points below the Toledo office average and 12 points below the national average. These figures are derived from a docket of 21,679 lifetime decisions. 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 Mantel'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 her 10 years on the bench, Judge Mantel has seen fluctuations in her approval rates, ranging from a low of 37% in 2016 to a high of 55% in 2024. The most recent 2025 data shows a rate of 47%, which aligns closely with her long-term lifetime average. This pattern suggests that while annual rates vary, her overall approach remains consistent over the long term.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Mantel'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 Mantel? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Toledo OH hearing office
The Toledo OH Hearing Office serves you and other applicants across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 53%, reflecting the local administrative environment. You can expect a standard hearing process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Toledo OH Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Toledo hearing office, the bench consists of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 44% to 51%. While each judge has a unique history, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent across the office.
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.