The purpose of the SSR is to provide a useful ready reference for Social Security practitioners and others with a particular interest in this area of the law. The SSR provides an easy and accessible means of ensuring that practitioners can keep abreast of important case law developments. It also serves as a useful reference tool for research on particular Social Security issues.

Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Federal Court decisions

The SSR primarily aims to provide a short summary of Social Security cases in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Federal Court, which raise particularly topical and noteworthy legal or factual issues.

Although there is ready access to the full text of such decisions through electronic means, the sheer number of Social Security matters being decided, particularly at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal level, makes it difficult for busy practitioners to maintain a regular and consistent overview of the case law and the issues being decided. The SSR therefore serves the function of reporting the most important cases that practitioners should be aware of. It provides practitioners with a succinct overview of such cases and the relevant matters decided, without the need for access to the full text of decisions.

Social Security Appeals Tribunal decisions

Summaries of interesting and noteworthy Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT) decisions* are also included in the SSR from time to time. Although these have no precedential value, they provide useful information about the views of the SSAT on particular legal issues and the sorts of matters which are arising for review. A decision of the SSAT regarding the interpretation of a particular legislative provision may be accepted by the relevant Department and thus no appeal is lodged in the AAT. As SSAT hearings are held in private, such decisions are not publicly available. The SSR therefore is the only means by which it is possible for a summary of the Tribunal's reasoning to be made publicly available, for the benefit of practitioners.

* Note that as SSAT decisions are held in private, case reports exclude any material which might identify the applicant, to ensure that confidentiality is preserved.

Articles on Social Security issues

The SSR also includes from time to time, articles on matters of particular interest to Social Security practitioners, for example, issues of significance raised by the caselaw, proposed budget or policy changes, or legislative developments. Contributions are welcome, and should be forwarded to ssr@ssr.org.au for consideration.

If you would like to subscribe to the SSR

The SSR will be issued in an electronic format (e-publication and pdf version) four times per year, at a subscription cost of $77 a year (GST inclusive). If you or someone you know would like to subscribe to the SRR, please complete the subscription form and return it with payment to the address on the form.