Approval rates
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Winkelman's 64% approval rate is measured against the Santa Barbara office's 69%, the California state rate of 60%, and the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical baseline for this window. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA publishes no office- or national-level breakdown of fully favorable and denial rates. The 12 months are SSA's figures for this fiscal year to date plus the rest of the previous fiscal year; how we calculate them.
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
Since 2016, Judge Winkelman has issued 2,487 decisions with an overall approval rate of 53%. The yearly trend shows fluctuations, with approval rates moving from 47% in 2016 to 68% in 2026. The most recent 12 months sit above the record since 2016.
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.
About the Santa Barbara hearing office
The Santa Barbara Hearing Office is the most recent office on record for Judge Winkelman, with decisions through July 2026. The office maintains a bench of 7 judges, though only 3 have active decisions in the latest SSA file. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on the medical and vocational evidence provided in your file.
Other judges whose most recent office on record is Santa Barbara
The Social Security Administration uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases. Among the 3 judges who decided cases here in SSA's latest file, approval rates range from 48% to 91% over the 12-month window. There are 7 judges whose most recent office on record is this one, with 3 of them deciding cases in the latest file.
Judges with similar approval rates
These active judges' approval rates over the same 12 months (July 26, 2025 – July 31, 2026) are closest to Judge Winkelman's 64%. All five last decided cases in California.
- 64% Approval rate, last 12 months James P. Nguyen
- 63% Approval rate, last 12 months Robert Iafe
- 65% Approval rate, last 12 months Davis Yee
- 62% Approval rate, last 12 months Scot Septer
- 66% Approval rate, last 12 months Josephine Arno
Rates within 5 points of each other are hard to tell apart at a typical caseload, so treat these as judges with comparable records, not a ranking. See Judge Winkelman and the three closest side by side →
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Over the 12 months to July 31, 2026, Judge Winkelman's 64% approval rate sits within the 48% to 91% range of the 3 judges who decided cases at the Santa Barbara office in the latest SSA file. An attorney can help you understand how to prepare for the specific bench you are assigned.
Judge Winkelman's approval rate has varied over the years, starting at 47% in 2016 and reaching 64% over the 12 months to July 31, 2026. An attorney can help you evaluate the evidence in your case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The Social Security Administration assigns cases using a workload-balancing algorithm. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of which judge is assigned to your case.
A judge's approval rate is a statistical summary of past decisions and does not predict the outcome of your specific hearing. The strength of your medical evidence and vocational documentation remains the most important factor in your claim. An attorney can help you organize this evidence to give your case the best chance of success.
