Re Cullinane and Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services

This matter concerned an appeal before Senior Member McCabe of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal regarding a decision by the Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services. The dispute centred on whether the applicant, Mr Cullinane, was considered a member of a couple for the purposes of the *Social Security Act 1991* (Cth).

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was to determine whether the applicant met the definition of being a member of a couple as defined by the *Social Security Act 1991*. This involved an assessment of the nature of the relationship between the applicant and another individual, and whether that relationship satisfied the statutory criteria for partnership.

Senior Member McCabe applied the principles established in the *Social Security Act 1991* concerning the definition of a couple. The Tribunal considered the various factors that indicate a relationship, including the degree of financial and domestic interdependence, the length and nature of the relationship, and the couple's social and financial presentation to the world. After considering the evidence presented, the Tribunal concluded that the applicant was indeed a member of a couple within the meaning of the Act.

Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision under review.