Approval rates
Comparing approval rates requires looking at data from the same timeframe to ensure accuracy. While the office-wide bench shows a range of outcomes from 33% to 77% on record, recent performance metrics provide a view of current trends. The 306 decisions on record since September 2023 offer a sample size for understanding this judge's history. 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 Neal'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 September 2023, your judge's approval rate has shown variation across 306 decisions on record. After a high volume of activity in 2024, the yearly trend has remained steady, with the most recent fiscal year-to-date period showing an approval rate of 39%. This latest-period figure represents a divergence from the overall average, though it remains within the context of the judge's established pattern. These shifts often reflect changes in the complexity of cases or the specific evidence presented.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Neal'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 Kansas City hearing office
Toni Neal's most recent office on record is the Kansas City hearing office, which serves you and other claimants across Missouri and the surrounding region. This office maintains a bench of 17 judges, reflecting a range of decision patterns. You can expect a formal administrative process where evidence quality is the primary factor in the outcome. You can see the Kansas City hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Kansas City
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning the judge you are assigned is random. There are 17 judges whose most recent office on record is the Kansas City hearing office, 12 of whom decided cases here in the latest file through July 2026. Approval rates across this bench vary, ranging from 33% to 77% on record.
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
Judge Neal has an approval rate of 34% on record since September 2023. This sits within the broader range of 33% to 77% seen among the 17 judges whose most recent office on record is Kansas City. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare your evidence for this specific bench.
The approval rate for Judge Neal has remained steady across the 306 decisions on record since September 2023. While the latest-period approval rate is 39%, yearly fluctuations are common and often depend on the specific mix of cases. A qualified attorney can help you evaluate the strengths of your claim regardless of these trends.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration uses an automated workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases to judges at the Kansas City hearing office. Because assignment is random, it is vital to have your case fully prepared by an attorney who understands the local hearing environment.
An SSDI hearing is a non-adversarial proceeding where an ALJ reviews your medical records and testimony. You will likely be asked about your work history, daily limitations, and the nature of your impairments. Working with an attorney can help ensure your testimony is clear and your medical evidence is properly organized.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. Your case's success depends primarily on the medical evidence and how well it aligns with SSA disability criteria. An attorney can help you identify gaps in your medical record and strengthen your case before your hearing date.
