Table of contents
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Table of contents
- 1 – Introduction
- 2 – Types of matters that may be assisted
- 3 – Criminal law guidelines
- 4 – Commonwealth family law and child support guidelines
- 5 – Commonwealth civil law guidelines
- 6 – State family guidelines
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7 – State civil law guidelines
- Guideline 1 – general civil claims of $5000 or more
- Guideline 2 – Mental Health Review Board cases
- Guideline 3 – guardianship and/or administration cases in the Guardianship List
- Guideline 4 – coronial inquests
- Guideline 5 – equal opportunity or discrimination cases
- Guideline 5a – Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal cases
- Guideline 6 – family violence protection order cases
- Guideline 6a – personal safety intervention order cases
- Guideline 7 – adoption
- Guideline 8 – State civil law matters that will not be assisted
- Guideline 10 – infringements cases
- Guideline 11 – a public interest case or a test case
- Guideline 12 – witnesses appearing before the Chief Examiner or Examiner
- Guideline 13 – social security cases at the ARO and SSAT stages
- Guideline 14 – drought legal assistance package
- 8 – Standard grants assessment process
- 9 – Simplified grants assessment process
- 10 – Referral and practitioner panels
- 11 – Means test
- 12 – Commonwealth merits test
- 13 – State reasonableness test and interests of justice test
- 14 – Special circumstances
- 15 – Applying for a grant of legal assistance
- 16 – Decision to grant or refuse assistance
- 17 – Reconsideration and review of decisions
- 18 – Standard terms and conditions
- 19 – Contributions and overdue payments
- 20 – Abandoning legal assistance
- 21 – Finalising grants of legal assistance
- 22 – Allocation of work to lawyers and law firms
- 23 – Payments to lawyers and service providers
- 24 – Compliance reviews
- 25 – Privacy protection
- 26 – Complaints and feedback
- Topic index
- Invoices, worksheets and forms
- Contact us
Guideline 13 – social security cases at the ARO and SSAT stages
VLA may make a grant of legal assistance for representation in social security matters at the Authorised Review Officer (ARO) stage and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT) stage.
Documentary requirements
Simplified grants assessment process
Applications under this guideline can only be made via the simplified grants assessment process by an in-house practitioner. A completed simplified VLA application form and an social security checklist should be submitted.
Standard grants assessment process
Any other member of the section 29A practitioner panel or section 30 referral panel or other person seeking a grant of legal assistance must apply via the standard grants assessment process. The following documents should be forwarded for assessment:
- a completed VLA application form
- a copy of any available documentation or evidence which shows that the social security matter is:
- at the Authorised Review Officer stage
or - the Social Security Appeals Tribunal stage.
- at the Authorised Review Officer stage
- reference to how the matter meets the State reasonableness test or the State interests of justice test
- relevant proof of means.