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Disability Support Pension

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Disability Support Pension

What is the Disability Support Pension?

The Disability Support Pension (DSP) is a Centrelink payment for people with a permanent disability or medical condition that prevents them from working more than 15 hours a week.

If you are hoping to apply for the DSP, we will generally encourage you to access the information and resources first.

Helpful links

Eligibility

  • You must be between 16 and ‘Age Pension age’
    • Age Pension age is currently 67.  You can apply for the Age Pension from 13 weeks prior to your 67th birthday.
  • You must meet the residence rules – one of the following:
    • You have been a resident for at least 10 years in total, including 5 years in a row
    • You are a refugee or former refugee
    • You lived or worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Australia for DSP
    • You were living in Australia when you became unable to work more than 15 hours a week
  • You meet the income and assets test
  • Then, for medical eligibility, you must either meet the manifest medical rules, or the general medical rules.

The general medical rules are:

  • You must have a condition that has been formally diagnosed by a doctor.
  • The condition must be considered ‘reasonably treated’.
    • This means that you need to be able to show you have tried all treatments available that:
      • Are done regularly (are not unusual or experimental)
      • Have a high success rate
      • Have good evidence to suggest that, if you tried them, you could improve enough that you would be able to work within the next two years.
    • And that:
      • Have a low risk to you
      • You can afford
      • You can get to (it’s not too far away)
    • If there are treatments that fit this description, but you can’t afford them, can’t get to where they are offered, or they are not safe for you to try – that is okay. You do not have to try them. You just need to explain why you can’t try them in your medical evidence.
    • If you are waiting for a treatment, such as a surgery, you may still be able to apply for the DSP. For example, if:
      • you will be waiting longer than 2 years to access the treatment
      • there is evidence that the treatment is not expected to result in significant improvement (i.e. you being able to work within 2 years).
  • The condition must be considered ‘stabilised’ or permanent.
    • This means either:
      • You have tried all treatments available that meet the above criteria, you have not improved enough to work, and any further treatment is not likely to result in you being able to work within the next two years; or
      • You have not undertaken all treatments available, and:
        • No treatment available is expected to result in you being able to work within the next two years; or
        • There is a medical or other compelling reason for you not to undertake treatment.
  • The condition must:
    • prevent you from working at least 15 hours per week
    • be likely to persist for more than two years
    • meet the medical rules, including a 20-point impairment rating.
      • This means that your supporting documentation must show that the condition results in a significant impairment, equalling 20 points or more on the Centrelink impairment table/s. (This link has a pretty good breakdown of the tables – have think about which one might be relevant to you).
      • If you reach 20 points on a single table, you are likely eligible without needing to participate in a program of support.
      • If you reach 20 points across multiple tables, it is still helpful to identify a primary disability, but you may need to participate in a program of support.
        • Programs of support are the programs run by places like Workforce Australia; Disability Employment Services; Australian Disability Enterprises; ParentsNext; the Community Development Program.
        • Generally, you will need to complete the program of support, or participate for a total of 18 months, to be eligible for the DSP. (Periods of exemption generally are not counted towards the 18 months.)
          • If you are participating in a program of support, and you’re having trouble with your mutual obligations because of your disability or health condition, talk to your provider and/or contact Social Security Rights Victoria for advice.
          • If the provider or Centrelink considers that you are unable to complete the program of support because of disability or chronic illness, or that participating in the program will not improve your ability to work, you may become eligible for DSP without meeting the program of support requirement.
        • If you have an issue with the compliance requirements for the program of support (or with Jobseeker), you can contact Social Security Rights Victoria for advice.
      • It is important to collect evidence about all your medical conditions and their functional impact on your daily life. 
      • There are a number of guides I have linked above which are helpful resources – bring them with you when you are asking your clinicians for reports!

DSP application process, step by step

 

  1. Gathering medical evidence
  • You will need medical reports from your GP or treating professionals (such as physiotherapist, neurologist, psychologist, OT) as part of your application. They will also need to fill out the SA473 (medical form) and SA478 (medical evidence checklist).
  • It is worth having your GP / treating professional fill out the SA473 (medical form) and SA478 (medical evidence checklist) at the same time as they are completing your reports.
  • Medical evidence must show that you meet the eligibility criteria, and have been receiving ongoing treatment or support within the past two years.
    • Your evidence must be under two years old.
    • Ensure the reports explain your diagnosis, treatments, and how your condition affects your daily life and ability to work according to the guides linked above.
    • Please refer to the guides linked above, and share them with your GP and treating professionals to ensure they use the correct language in their reports.
  1. Reviewing your reports
  • Check your reports:
    • Do they align with the primary disability identified in your application?
    • Do they map to the appropriate table/s of impairment?
    • Do the reports support each other? Make sure there is no contradicting information.
    • Do the reports align with the guides provided above?
  • Check you have everything you need from your doctors to evidence your application – the medical reports from GP or treating professionals, the SA473 (medical form), and SA478 (medical evidence checklist).
  1. Complete the forms and submit application
  • In addition to the medical reports and forms (SA473 and SA478), you will need to fill out the SA466 (your application – though this is easiest to do through myGov rather than using the paper form), the SA472 (consent for your health providers to give information to Centrelink), and the SA369 (income and assets).
  • Upload all completed forms and supporting medical documents online via MyGov > Centrelink > Upload Documents.
    • You can also lodge by registered post, or in person (make sure you get a receipt number).
  • Make sure you retain copies of all your reports.
  1. MAT assessment, Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) and SONIC appointment

There are three stages of assessment in a DSP application.

  • Medical Assessment Team (MAT) – this is the first, basic assessment, done by Centrelink staff. They check if you meet the non-medical and medical eligibility criteria.
  • Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) – this is the second assessment, done by a Centrelink assessor. You are allowed to have a support person attend with you.
    • The assessor will ask questions such as:
      • how is your dexterity impacted by your disability?
      • can you drive?
      • can you do everyday household tasks?
      • what does a good day look like?
      • what does a bad day look like?
    • The assessor will then write a report for Centrelink.
  • JCAs are done both when applying for the first time, and sometimes when you are already on the DSP to check that you are still eligible.

Disability Medical Assessment (DMA) also known as a Sonic.

  • If the Job Capacity Assessment assessor recommended the DSP, an appointment will be arranged with an independent clinician through Sonic HealthPlus. This is usually a short call to independently confirm the Centrelink assessment.
  1.  Wait for Centrelink’s response

Processing times vary.

  • You may be asked for additional evidence. 

If your application is declined:

  • Centrelink will contact you to explain the decision and answer your questions. Keep an eye on your phone – they are hard to get back in touch with if you miss the call.
  • You can ask for a verbal explanation of the decision and an informal review. The decision may be able to be changed without a formal review.
  • You can request a copy of your DSP assessment report from Centrelink.  The detail will vary depending on how far you progressed through the stages of assessment.

If you would like to appeal a rejection:

  • you have 13 weeks from the notification of the original decision to lodge an appeal to an Authorised Review Officer.
    • (You can request the review after the 13 weeks, but if you are successful, you will not receive the full backpay.)
  • You can use the SS351 form (explanation or formal review of a decision); or tell Centrelink that you wish to appeal the decision and obtain a receipt number for the request.

After this review, if you would like to appeal the decision made by the Authorised Review Officer, you have the right to appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal – Level 1 (ART1).

  • You must do this within 13 weeks of notification of decision.
    • (You can appeal the decision after the 13 weeks, but again, if you are successful, you will not receive the full backpay.)

You can appeal a decision made at ART1 to ART2, within 28 days of the notification.

In some cases, you can appeal a decision at ART2 to the Federal Court, but you should get legal advice before considering that step; it’s expensive and complicated.

Next steps

Other services

Use the resources above to have a crack at the applications. 

If you get stuck, please feel free to get in touch! We may be able to offer a one-off information session. 

This would look like:

  • one of our advocates talking you through the relevant processes and the evidence needed
  • answering any questions you have
  • discussing where you have gotten stuck
  • we may be able to go over rejected applications with you in this time, if provided prior to the appointment.

An information session is time-limited, and usually done over the phone (that is, one 60-minute call, with the option for a short follow up).

  • We can also provide this information in writing, or over a video call depending on your needs and preferences.

If you would like to enquire about information sessions, click the button below to be taken to our contact page.

We would need to complete a short intake process (getting a bit more information from you to create a file in our system – including full name, date of birth, postcode, and best contact details) prior to making a time to chat.

Get in touch

Community Information and Support Victoria (CISVic) often offer support with filling out forms, short-term casework, and referrals to other appropriate local services.

Neighbourhood Houses also sometimes offer support with filling out forms, and may be able to connect you with a local service.

Your local community health service may offer social work services.

If you are between the ages of 18 and 25, you may be able to get some assistance through a youth service; you can see if your local council offers youth services, or check out your nearest Headspace.

If you are having a tough time due to a complex issue or vulnerability, you can also ask for help with your application from a Centrelink Community Engagement Officer. They can assist with DSP applications, and sometimes link you in with Centrelink social workers. To find your closest Community Engagement Officer, give Centrelink a call on 132 717, or visit your closest Services Australia location.