Approval rates
Judge Piloseno maintains a lifetime approval rate of 84%, which stands 26 percentage points higher than both the current Tampa Hearing Office average and the national average of 58%. This data is drawn from a docket of 17,977 lifetime decisions accumulated over 8 years on the bench. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding historical decision-making patterns.
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 Piloseno Jr.'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 an 8-year tenure, Judge Piloseno has demonstrated a consistent trend of high approval rates. Starting at 75% in 2016, the annual approval rate has trended upward, reaching 95% in 2023. This trajectory shows a sustained pattern of allowance that has remained robust even as annual caseloads have fluctuated.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Piloseno Jr.'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 Piloseno Jr.? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tampa hearing office
The Tampa Hearing Office serves a large population in Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an average approval rate of 58%, consistent with national trends. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration utilizes a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Tampa Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary, ranging from 48% to 84%. Because of this variance, understanding the local bench is a standard part of case preparation.
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.