This page shows the disability approval rate of every Social Security administrative law judge (ALJ) at the Houston West hearing office, using official SSA data for fiscal year 2026 through August 28, 2026. Use it to understand what to expect if your disability hearing has been assigned to one of these judges.

Houston West hearing office at a glance

• Office approval rate: 52.8% (lower than the national average of 57.6%)
• Judges: 12 listed, 12 with decisions this period
• Decisions issued: 3,257 (1,430 fully favorable, 291 partially favorable, 1,536 denials)
• Total dispositions: 4,039 (including 782 dismissals)
• SSA region: 06

The highest approval rate at this office belongs to Helen F Strong (84.0%); the lowest belongs to Kelly Matthews (32.2%).

Approval rate by judge

Sorted from highest to lowest approval rate. “Difference” compares the judge to the 57.6% national average. Rates for judges with fewer than 50 decisions are marked as a small sample and should be read with caution.

How to read these numbers

Approval rate = (fully favorable + partially favorable decisions) ÷ total decisions. A fully favorable decision grants benefits from the date the claimant requested; a partially favorable decision grants benefits but with a later onset date or other limitation. Dismissals (for example, when a claimant withdraws or misses the hearing) are not decisions on the merits and are excluded from the rate.

A judge’s past approval rate is not a prediction for any individual case. Outcomes depend primarily on the medical evidence, the claimant’s work history, and how well the case is prepared and presented.

Frequently asked questions

What is the approval rate at the Houston West Social Security hearing office?

In fiscal year 2026 through August 28, 2026, administrative law judges at the Houston West hearing office approved 52.8% of the cases they decided (1,430 fully favorable and 291 partially favorable out of 3,257 decisions). The national average is 57.6%.

Which judge at the Houston West hearing office has the highest approval rate?

Helen F Strong had the highest approval rate at 84.0% across 282 decisions.

How many judges work at the Houston West hearing office?

SSA lists 12 administrative law judges at the Houston West hearing office, 12 of whom issued decisions during the reporting period.

Where does this data come from?

All figures come from the Social Security Administration's public ALJ Disposition Data report, reporting period ending August 28, 2026. Approval rate is calculated as fully favorable plus partially favorable decisions divided by total decisions; dismissals are excluded.

Source: Social Security Administration, ALJ Disposition Data, reporting period ending August 28, 2026 (report generated 09/22/2026). SSA updates this dataset monthly. Last updated on this site: October 13, 2026.