Approval rates
When evaluating your claim, it is helpful to look at how Judge Wheatley's approval rate compares to broader benchmarks. While the Stockton Hearing Office maintains a latest approval rate of 44%, Judge Wheatley’s recent performance sits 3 points lower. These figures are derived from a significant docket of 3,790 lifetime decisions, providing a stable look at historical trends. 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 Wheatley'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 Wheatley has maintained a consistent approach to disability claims. The data shows a slight upward trend, moving from a 40% approval rate in 2016 to 43% in 2017. This steady pattern suggests a reliable decision-making framework that has remained relatively predictable throughout the judge's time on the bench. Recent performance reflects a continuation of this established trajectory.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wheatley'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 Wheatley? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Check My BenefitsAbout the Stockton hearing office
The Stockton Hearing Office serves you and other applicants across the region, managing a high volume of disability cases with a bench of 6 judges. The office currently reports a latest approval rate of 44%, which provides a local context for your upcoming hearing. You can expect a formal process focused on the medical evidence presented in your file. You can see the Stockton 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. Within the Stockton Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary widely, ranging from 30% to 61%. This variance highlights why understanding the specific tendencies of your assigned judge is a vital part of your hearing preparation. You can find more information on the Stockton 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.