Approval rates
Judge Ramrup maintains a lifetime approval rate of 63% based on 8,107 decisions over a 10-year tenure. In the latest reporting period, the judge's approval rate was 100%, which stands 5 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of the judge's history at the New York Varick office.
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 Ramrup'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 Ramrup has seen significant fluctuations in approval trends. After a steady period between 2018 and 2021, the data shows a rise in approval rates in 2022, followed by a dip in 2023 and a subsequent recovery in 2024 and 2025. This pattern suggests that your outcome is highly dependent on the specific evidence you present.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Ramrup'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 Ramrup? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the New York Varick hearing office
The New York Varick Hearing Office serves a large population across the New York region, managing a high volume of disability claims. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 71%. You can expect a review of medical evidence and vocational testimony during your hearing at this location.
Other judges at this hearing office
The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning you cannot choose your judge. Within the New York Varick Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 ALJs range from 43% to 83%. This variance highlights that the judge you draw is a factor in your hearing process.
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.