Approval rates
Comparing a judge's performance to broader benchmarks provides context for your upcoming hearing. Judge Wolff maintains a lifetime approval rate of 52%, which differs from the 64% average seen at the Billings Hearing Office. While these figures offer a statistical snapshot based on 1,965 lifetime decisions, they are not a guarantee of how your specific case will be handled. These rates reflect historical trends rather than future outcomes.
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 Wolff'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 tenure spanning 2 years on the bench, Judge Wolff has seen shifts in approval trends. The data shows an approval rate of 66% in 2017, followed by 45% in 2018. This downward trend in the most recent reporting period reflects changes in the types of cases heard or the evidence presented. Understanding these fluctuations is part of building a strong case for your hearing.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Wolff'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 Wolff? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Billings hearing office
The Billings Hearing Office serves you throughout Montana, managing a steady volume of disability cases. With a bench of 6 judges, the office maintains a latest approval rate of 64%. You can expect a professional environment where your medical documentation and vocational testimony are prioritized. You can see the Billings 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 judge is selected randomly. Within the Billings Hearing Office, lifetime approval rates among the 6 judges range from 31% to 69%. This variance highlights why focusing on the strength of your medical evidence is essential regardless of who presides. You can review the full office roster on the Billings 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.