Approval rates
Comparing a judge's lifetime performance to current benchmarks provides a helpful perspective on the local hearing environment. Judge Stout maintains a 45% lifetime approval rate, which currently tracks 4 points below the Florence Hearing Office average and 13 points below the national average. These figures are derived from 2,720 lifetime decisions, offering a stable data set for your review. You can find more details on the local hearing office at the Florence Hearing Office page.
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 Stout'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 two-year tenure, Judge Stout has demonstrated a shift in decision-making patterns. The data shows an approval rate of 37% in 2016, which rose to 54% in 2017. This upward trend suggests a change in the volume or nature of cases handled during this period. Such shifts are common as judges adjust to local caseloads and evolving evidentiary standards. The recent data reflects a departure from the earlier, more conservative approval patterns.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Stout'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 Stout? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Florence hearing office
The Florence Hearing Office serves you and other claimants across South Carolina, managing a high volume of disability appeals. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains an average approval rate of 49%. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. For more information on the local bench, see the Florence 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 Judge Stout is essentially random. Across the Florence Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 33% to 62%. This variance highlights the importance of focusing on the merits of your specific claim regardless of who presides. You can find more information on the local bench by visiting the Florence 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.