Approval rates
Judge Stewart currently holds an approval rate that is 10 percentage points higher than the Greenville office average and 17 points above the national average. These figures are derived from a substantial docket of 4,031 lifetime decisions, providing a reliable statistical window into past performance. Comparing these rates to regional and national benchmarks helps clarify the local hearing environment. 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 Stewart'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
Throughout her 2 years on the bench, Judge Stewart has maintained a steady approval pattern. Data shows a consistent 75% approval rate across 2016 and 2017, indicating a stable approach to your case evaluation. This consistency suggests that the judge's decision-making process is well-established. The recent reporting period reflects a continuation of this steady pattern, which remains high relative to broader office trends.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stewart'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 Stewart? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Greenville hearing office
The Greenville Hearing Office serves a large population of applicants across South Carolina and surrounding areas. With a bench of 6 judges, the office manages a high volume of disability claims, currently averaging a 65% approval rate. You can expect a formal process focused on your medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Greenville Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
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. At the Greenville Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 44% to 75%. Because of this variance, understanding the local landscape is a standard part of your case preparation. You can find more information on the Greenville Hearing Office page.
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.