Approval rates
Evaluating your chances begins with understanding how a judge's historical approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. Judge Thompson has maintained a 53% lifetime approval rate across 21,219 decisions. In the most recent reporting period, his 52% approval rate stands 5 percentage points above the Macon office average of 48%, though it remains below the national average of 58%.
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 Thompson'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 decade on the bench, Judge Thompson has demonstrated a consistent decision-making pattern. His annual approval rates have fluctuated between 45% and 58%, reflecting a steady approach to the evidence presented in your disability claim. While the most recent data shows a 52% approval rate, this remains well within the range of his historical performance, suggesting a stable judicial approach that prioritizes the specific medical and vocational evidence in your file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Thompson'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.
Have a hearing with Judge Thompson? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Macon hearing office
The Macon Hearing Office serves you throughout central Georgia, managing a high volume of disability hearings. With a bench of 6 judges, the office processes a diverse range of cases. The office-wide latest approval rate of 48% provides a baseline for local trends. You can visit the Macon 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 assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. At the Macon Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 30% to 65%. Because you cannot choose your judge, understanding the office-wide environment is helpful for your preparation.
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.