Approval rates
Judge Wesner has established a record over his 4 years on the bench with a lifetime approval rate of 77%. This performance compares to the latest Philadelphia office average of 55% and the national average of 58%. These figures are derived from a docket of 7,414 lifetime decisions. Aggregate rates describe past decisions rather than 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 Wesner'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 his tenure, Judge Wesner has shown a varied approval trend, starting at 77% in 2016 and peaking at 85% in 2017 before adjusting to 63% in 2019. This pattern reflects activity across 7,414 lifetime decisions. These fluctuations often correspond to changes in case complexity or the specific medical evidence presented during a given year.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wesner'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 Wesner? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Philadelphia hearing office
The Philadelphia Hearing Office serves a large population across Pennsylvania, managing a high volume of disability claims with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports an average approval rate of 55%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can visit the Philadelphia Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning your assignment to a specific judge is essentially random. Within the Philadelphia Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench range from 41% to 77%. This variance highlights why understanding the general environment of your local office is useful 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.