Administrative Review Council inquiry into administrative review of social security decisions

18 Sep 2025

The Administrative Review Council has commenced an inquiry into the social security provisions enacted at the time of the establishment of the Administrative Review Tribunal (“ART”) in 2024.

The Council’s inquiry will consider whether the current structures and procedures in place for the administrative review of social security decisions are effective in promoting the objectives of the ART under the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (Cth). The inquiry will consider issues including the desirability of the two-tier review procedures in the Tribunal as well as the role played by Services Australia’s internal review processes in resolving matters prior to external merits review. Terms of Reference for the inquiry are on the Council’s webpage: ARC Social Security Inquiry – Terms of Reference | Attorney-General’s Department.

To guide consideration, the Council has prepared an Issues Paper  that sets out some of the key issues and debates arising in connection with the various stages of review.

The Council welcomes contributions from stakeholders with experience, expertise or interest in the review of social security decisions. To provide a response or submission, please visit the consultation webpage at Administrative Review Council Inquiry on Social Security – Attorney-General’s Department – Citizen Space. The ARC encourages  circulation of  this link within  to any other interested parties.

For any queries about the consultation process, please contact the ARC Secretariat at ARCConsultations@ag.gov.au.