Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at consistent timeframes. While your judge's 34% approval rate covers the entire period since 2016, the latest-period data shows a 32% approval rate. This latest figure is 21 points lower than the 53% office-wide average for the same period. With over 3,000 decisions on record, the data provides a look at past trends.
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 Matthews'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
The approval rate for Kelly Matthews has fluctuated since 2016. After reaching 44% in 2017, the rate saw a decline before reaching 40% in 2025. The most recent data from 2026 shows a 32% approval rate. This pattern reflects the evolution of your judge's docket over the last decade.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Matthews'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 Houston West hearing office
The Houston West hearing office is staffed by 14 judges whose most recent office on record is this location, and the office-wide approval rate in the latest reporting period was 53%. You can expect a standard administrative hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Houston West
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning the judge you are assigned is essentially random. There are 14 judges whose most recent office on record is the Houston West office, 10 of whom decided cases in the latest SSA file. Approval rates among this bench vary widely, ranging from 8% to 73% on their records since 2016.
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
In the latest reporting period, Kelly Matthews had an approval rate of 32%, which is 21 points lower than the 53% average for the Houston West office. Because cases are assigned randomly, you may be scheduled with any of the 14 judges associated with this office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
Yes, the approval rate has fluctuated over the years. It was 44% in 2017, 40% in 2018, 35% in 2019, 32% in 2020, 33% in 2021, 30% in 2022, 24% in 2023, 29% in 2024, 40% in 2025, and 32% in 2026. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your case.
No, you cannot choose your judge. The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, ensuring that hearings are distributed randomly among available judges. An attorney can help you build a strong case regardless of which judge is assigned to your hearing.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. While it provides context on a judge's history, the success of your claim depends primarily on the quality of your medical evidence and testimony. An attorney can help you ensure your case is fully prepared for the hearing.
