Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Bentley's 67% approval rate sits above the 62% office average, the 60% state average, and the 58% national average. These figures are based on 438 decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for individual hearings.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Bentley'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 August 2016, Judge Bentley has issued 3,859 decisions on record. The yearly trend shows fluctuation, with approval rates moving from 68% in 2017 to 67% in the most recent partial fiscal year. The 12-month approval rate of 67% sits slightly above the 64% average recorded since 2016.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Bentley'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 San Bernardino hearing office
The San Bernardino Hearing Office serves you in California. As of the most recent data in July 2026, this office remains a central location for disability hearings in the region. The office's approval rate was 62% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is San Bernardino
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases. Among the 4 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 58% to 73% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. There are 6 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, and 4 of them decided cases here in SSA's latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Bentley's 67%. All five last decided cases in California.
- 68% Approval rate, last 12 months Ghermann Magana
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Josephine Arno
- 68% Approval rate, last 12 months Cynthia Floyd
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Enrico Alis
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Tova Wolking
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Bentley and the three closest side by side →
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
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Bentley's 67% approval rate is within the 58% to 73% range of the 4 judges who decided cases at the San Bernardino office in SSA's latest file. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific bench you are assigned.
Judge Bentley has a 64% approval rate across 3,859 decisions on record since 2016. While the rate has fluctuated year-to-year, the most recent 12-month approval rate of 67% remains consistent with the long-term record. An attorney can help you understand how these trends might relate to your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. An attorney can help you prepare for a hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
An approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and testimony remains the most important factor in your claim. An attorney can help you build the strongest possible case for your hearing.
