Hamdallah and Secretary, Department of Social Services (Social services second review)

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered the application of Mr Hamdallah for a disability support pension, which was opposed by the Secretary of the Department of Social Services. The core of the dispute concerned whether Mr Hamdallah met the criteria for severe disability under the *Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999* (Cth), which governs the application of international social security agreements.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether Mr Hamdallah was a person with a severe disability for the purposes of the relevant international agreement, and consequently, whether he qualified for a disability support pension under Australian social security law. This involved assessing his medical condition and its impact on his capacity to work, in light of the specific provisions of the international agreement as applied by the *Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999*.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, finding that Mr Hamdallah did not satisfy the criteria for a severe disability as defined by the applicable international agreement. The reasoning focused on the assessment of his medical conditions and their functional limitations, concluding that these did not reach the threshold required by the agreement to establish severe disability for the purpose of receiving a disability support pension.