Your impairment is how your disability or medical condition affects your ability to function each day.
How we use Impairment Tables
We assess your impairment using the Department of Social Services (DSS) Impairment Tables. These Tables are part of social security law for DSP.
The Impairment Tables we use to assess your DSP claim depends on the date you submitted your claim.
We use the 2023 Impairment Tables if you either submitted:
- your DSP claim on, or after 1 April 2023
- a review or appeal for a DSP claim submitted on or after 1 April 2023.
We use the 2011 Impairment Tables if you either submitted:
- your DSP claim before 1 April 2023
- a review or appeal of your DSP claim before 1 April 2023.
Read about the Impairment Tables on the DSS website. They also have an easy read guide that you can download or listen to.
You can read the detailed 2003 and the 2011 Impairment Tables on the Federal Register of Legislation website.
You can also read about the latest review of the DSP Impairment Tables and see a summary of the changes on the Department of Social Services website.
We use the Tables to:
- assess any conditions you have that are diagnosed, reasonably treated and stabilised
- assess the effect those conditions have on your ability to work
- assign impairment ratings.
Some Impairment Tables have specific diagnosis and specialist medical evidence requirements.
How the impairment rating affects your claim
The impairment rating helps us assess if you meet the general medical rules for DSP.
To meet these rules, you need to have either:
- an impairment rating of 20 points or more on a single Impairment Table
- 20 points or more in total on more than one Impairment Table and meet the Program of Support rules.
If you meet the impairment rating for DSP, we also assess your ability to work.
If we assess your total impairment rating is less than 20 points, you won’t be eligible for DSP.
Example of not meeting the 20 point impairment rating
Following a boating accident, Anne’s leg was amputated. During her rehabilitation, Anne was fitted with a prosthetic limb. Anne can walk without help from another person, though sometimes she uses a walking stick when she gets tired. Anne applies for DSP after she loses her job.
Our assessor uses Anne’s medical evidence to determine that Anne’s condition is diagnosed, reasonably treated and stabilised. The assessor then considers the impact of Anne’s condition against the descriptions in the Impairment Tables.
Anne can walk independently and use public transport without help from another person. As a result, she doesn’t get 20 points under the Impairment Tables. Anne can’t get DSP.
Anne can get help to find or retrain for a suitable job. We refer Anne to Disability Employment Services, which help people with disability, illness or injury find and keep a job.