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

This matter concerned an appeal by William Wood against the Secretary of the Department of Social Services regarding a claim for a Disability Support Pension (DSP). Mr Wood suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome and depression and anxiety, stemming from a workplace injury. His claim for DSP had been refused by the Secretary, and this decision was subsequently affirmed by an Authorised Review Officer and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). Mr Wood sought a review by the Tribunal, contending that all relevant medical evidence had not been considered.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether Mr Wood's impairments, specifically his carpal tunnel syndrome and mental health conditions, rated 20 points or more under the Impairment Tables, as required by section 94(1)(b) of the *Social Security Act 1991* (Cth) for DSP eligibility. This required the Tribunal to determine if Mr Wood's conditions were fully diagnosed, fully treated, and fully stabilised, and if they resulted in a significant functional impairment preventing him from working at least 15 hours per week.

The Tribunal reasoned that for an impairment rating to be assigned under the Impairment Tables, the condition must be fully diagnosed, fully treated, and fully stabilised. While Mr Wood's mental health conditions were fully diagnosed, the evidence indicated that reasonable treatment options for his depression and anxiety remained unexplored during the relevant qualification period. Consequently, these conditions were not eligible for an impairment rating. The Tribunal found that Mr Wood's conditions warranted only 5 impairment points, which fell short of the 20-point threshold necessary for DSP eligibility.

Accordingly, the Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, which was the decision of the AAT made on 26 February 2020. As Mr Wood did not meet the impairment rating requirement, it was unnecessary for the Tribunal to consider whether he met the other eligibility criteria for DSP.