Approval rates
Judge McKay has served on the bench for 10 years, presiding over 22,905 lifetime decisions. In the most recent reporting period, the judge recorded an approval rate of 52%, which matches the San Antonio office average of 52% and sits below the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical look at past performance rather than a guarantee of your future outcome.
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 McKay'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, Judge McKay has navigated various caseloads, with approval rates showing a notable upward trend in recent years. While the lifetime average stands at 45%, the judge reached a 56% approval rate in 2024 and 54% in 2025. This recent shift marks a departure from the lower approval rates seen between 2019 and 2022. These fluctuations often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of medical evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge McKay'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 McKay? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the San Antonio hearing office
The San Antonio Hearing Office serves a broad population across Texas, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an environment where your case evidence is evaluated against strict SSA guidelines. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history. You can visit the San Antonio Hearing Office page for more information on the local roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to Judge McKay is essentially random. Across the San Antonio office, lifetime approval rates for the bench range from 39% to 51%. Because every judge operates within the same regulatory framework, the core requirements for proving your disability remain consistent regardless of the specific judge assigned to your hearing.
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.