Asking for a Medical Appeals Board hearing
If we have declined or cancelled your Child Disability Allowance, Invalid’s Benefit or Sickness Benefit based on information provided by a medical professional, you can ask for a review of that decision. If you are on the Sickness Benefit, you can also review a decision to apply or to continue to apply part-time work obligations when the original decision was based on medical grounds or on grounds relating to your capacity for work. A Medical Appeals Board will undertake the review.
What the board does
The Medical Appeals Board will take a fresh look at all the information on your medical condition or ability to work. They will consider whether the right decision was made about the medical reasons for declining or cancelling your benefit, or applying work obligations.
Who's on the board
The Board is made up of three experts which can include general practitioners, rehabilitation professionals or vocational experts.
The person who made your original medical assessment will not be included on the Medical Appeals Board for your hearing.
How to apply for a hearing
Contact your local Service Centre or Community Link and they will tell you what you need to do.
What happens at a hearing
An appeal hearing is an informal meeting where the Medical Appeals Board meets to consider your appeal application.
You are encouraged to attend and can have a support person or agent with you, but please tell us before the hearing.
The Medical Appeals Board will consider your appeal application and will have a copy of the documents used to determine your medical eligibility for the Child Disability Allowance, Invalids Benefit or Sickness Benefit, or your work obligations if on the Sickness Benefit.
We encourage you to give the Medical Appeals Board any other medical documentation or evidence that you think they need to know about. Please try to do this before the hearing so they can consider the information beforehand.
The Medical Appeals Board may ask you to be re-examined by a specialist or other medical practitioner to help in making their decision. We will pay for this and any travel related costs. If you do not want to be re-examined, please let them know.
When is a decision made
The Medical Appeals Board won't make a decision at the appeal hearing and sometimes they may ask for more information. Usually we will write to you within two weeks of the hearing and give you a copy of the decision they made.
If the Medical Appeals Board decides that you meet the medical requirements for the benefit, we will grant you the benefit (provided you meet the rest of the requirements). We will contact you to ensure you are getting all the assistance available and explain the changes.
If the Medical Appeals Board decides that you do not have capacity for part-time work of at least 15 hours per week and should not be subject to part-time work obligations, we will remove the part-time work obligations. We will contact you to explain the changes.
What if you still disagree
The decision of the Medical Appeals Board is final. There is no further right of appeal.
