Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance requires looking at both long-term history and recent trends. Over a decade on the bench, Steven D. Slahta has maintained a 70% approval rate across 23,184 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his 61% approval rate continues to outperform the 58% average seen across both the Tampa office and the national landscape. These aggregate rates reflect past decisions rather than predictions for your specific 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 Slahta'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
The career of Steven D. Slahta shows a consistent pattern of high approval rates, peaking in 2023 at 79% before adjusting to 63% in the 2025 data. Across 10 years of service, his decision-making has remained stable, generally favoring claimants at a rate higher than the broader office bench. This fluctuation in yearly percentages often reflects changes in the complexity of cases or the quality of evidence presented. The recent data suggests a return toward his long-term average after a period of higher-than-usual approvals.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Slahta'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 Slahta? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tampa hearing office
The Tampa Hearing Office serves a large population across Florida, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently maintains an approval rate of 58%, aligning with national trends. You should expect a structured environment where thorough medical documentation is essential for a favorable outcome. For more information, visit the Tampa Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases, meaning your specific judge is typically chosen at random. Within the Tampa office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 48% to 70%. Because of this variance, the judge you draw can influence the procedural flow of your hearing. For preparation purposes, the guidance remains consistent regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.