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

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered an application for a disability support pension made by Mr Ollerenshaw against the Secretary of the Department of Social Services. The core of the dispute concerned whether Mr Ollerenshaw's medical conditions met the criteria for the pension, specifically whether they were fully diagnosed, treated, and stabilised, and whether his impairments rated 20 points or more under the relevant Impairment Tables.

The Tribunal was required to determine if Mr Ollerenshaw's various medical conditions, including a spinal condition, resulted in impairments that satisfied the threshold for a disability support pension. This involved assessing whether the conditions were sufficiently diagnosed and treated, and crucially, whether the severity of his impairments, as measured against the Impairment Tables, reached the statutory minimum of 20 points.

The Tribunal's reasoning focused on the assessment of Mr Ollerenshaw's spinal condition under Table 4 of the Impairment Tables. It was found that this condition, despite its impact, was only awarded 10 points. As this score did not meet the required 20-point threshold, the Tribunal concluded that Mr Ollerenshaw did not satisfy the necessary criteria for the disability support pension based on the evidence presented.

The decision under review, which affirmed the refusal of the disability support pension, was therefore affirmed by the Tribunal. The Tribunal noted that Mr Ollerenshaw is entitled to submit a new application should his circumstances change in the future.