Approval rates
Judge Schwartz has maintained a lifetime approval rate of 52% over his 10-year career. In the most recent reporting period, his approval rate was 58%, which matches the current national average of 58% and is 2 points higher than the Peoria office average of 56%. These figures are based on 24,666 lifetime decisions. 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 Schwartz'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 his decade on the bench, your judge's approval rates have ranged from a low of 43% in 2019 to a high of 59% in 2025. His decision-making has shown an upward trend in recent years, moving from 51% in 2023 to 59% in 2025. This recent shift indicates that his current approach is more aligned with broader national benchmarks than in previous years.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Schwartz'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 Schwartz? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Peoria hearing office
The Peoria hearing office serves you and other claimants throughout central Illinois. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 56%. You should be prepared for a thorough review of your medical records and vocational history at your hearing. You can visit the Peoria Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to Judge Schwartz is essentially random. The Peoria hearing office features a bench of 6 judges with lifetime approval rates ranging from 42% to 67%. Because each judge weighs evidence differently, the specific judge assigned to your case is a factor in the overall 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.