The condition must be expected to last one year or more.
Adjudicators look for specific failures in the local decision: Did the caseworker misinterpret a medical report? Was the Activities of Daily Living scale applied incorrectly? Did they overlook a doctor’s narrative about fluctuating symptoms (e.g., chronic pain or mental health episodes)? odsp adjudication unit
Conversely, claims relying on subjective pain or episodic mental health crises without third-party documentation (therapists, social workers) are rarely approved at this stage. The condition must be expected to last one year or more
You must request this within 30 days of the denial. A different adjudicator within the DAU will look at your file again. Did they overlook a doctor’s narrative about fluctuating
A disability adjudicator—often a nurse, occupational therapist, or social worker—reviews the Health Status Report and the Activities of Daily Living sections.
The Ford government has proposed streamlining the AU into a digital first-review system, aiming for 60-day turnaround times by 2025. But critics warn that automation could harm applicants with complex, non-linear disabilities. Meanwhile, the backlog grows.