Approval rates
Over a decade on the bench, Judge Roger E. Winkelman has issued 14,852 decisions. Comparing the latest reporting period to broader benchmarks shows the judge currently operating at a 67% approval rate, which sits 9 percentage points above the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for understanding the judge's historical decision-making. 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 Winkelman'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
The career of Judge Roger E. Winkelman shows a distinct shift in recent years. After maintaining a steady approval rate near 50% for much of the last decade, the data indicates a clear upward trend starting in 2023. The latest period reflects a continuation of this recent pattern, with approval rates reaching 72% in 2025. This shift suggests that the judge's current approach may be influenced by changes in case complexity or the quality of evidence presented in recent dockets.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Winkelman'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 Winkelman? See if a free benefits review fits your case.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Santa Barbara hearing office
The Santa Barbara Hearing Office serves you across the California region. With a bench of 6 judges, this office manages a high volume of disability claims. The office-wide latest approval rate is 74%, which provides context for the local environment. You can expect a professional hearing process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can visit the Santa Barbara 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 the judge you are assigned is essentially random. Within the Santa Barbara Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the bench vary significantly, ranging from 36% to 81%. This variance highlights why focusing on your specific medical documentation is more important than the identity of the judge. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
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.