Catalogue description Records of the Office of the President of Social Security Appeal Tribunals, Medical Appeal Tribunals and Vaccine Damage Tribunals and Independent Tribunal Service

The Office of the President of Social Security Appeal Tribunals, Medical Appeal Tribunals and Vaccine Damage Tribunals (OPSSAT) was an independent organisation set up under the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983. Tribunals which were at the time run by the Department of Health and Social Security considered appeals against an Adjudication Officer's decision on claims to social security and national insurance benefits such as income support and sickness benefit. OPSSAT was established, under a President, in April 1984 to run the social security appeal tribunals following calls for a single, independent, national tribunal system to apply uniform and improved standards of decision-making.

Social Security Appeal Tribunals (SSATs) which are a combination of Supplementary Benefit Appeal Tribunals and National Insurance Local Tribunals deal with appeals against refusal of a variety of means and non-means tested social security benefits. They consist of a chairman who must be legally qualified and two other people. The chairmen are appointed by the Lord Chancellor and the lay members are appointed by the President.

Medical Appeal Tribunals (MATs) examine and reach decisions about the medical aspects of a person's appeal and are frequently concerned with diagnosis and disablement questions arising from a person's employment. MATs comprise a chairman, appointed by the Lord Chancellor, and two medical practitioners appointed by the President.

Vaccine Damage Tribunals (VDTs) are made up in the same way as MATs with a legally qualified chairman and two medically qualified members but there is no appeal. The Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme provides for a payment to be made where a person has suffered severe damage as a result of vaccination against certain specified diseases. When an application for payment is refused because the DHSS is not satisfied that the medical conditions are fulfilled, the claimant may apply for a review which is carried out by a VDT.

The introduction of new legislation in April 1992 (the Disability Living Allowance and Disabilty Working Allowance Act 1991) governing the award of disability living allowance gave the organisation responsibilty for appeals in a new jurisdiction - Disability Appeal Tribunals (DATs). These tribunals are responsible for hearing and deciding appeals concerning the disablement aspect of disability living allowance, disability working allowance and attendance allowance. DATs comprise a legally qualified chairman, a medical member and a 'Carer' member.

The Child Support Act which established the Child Support Agency in April 1993 gave the organisation responsibility for appeals to the Child Support Appeal Tribunals (CSATs). CSATs hear and decide appeals about assessment of child support payable by one parent. They are made up of a legally qualified chairman and two other members.

If a claimant is dissatisfied with a tribunal's decision, he/she can appeal against it on a point of law to the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners.

OPSSAT changed its name to the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) in April 1991 to reflect its expanded jurisdiction, its growing status and to reinforce its independence.

The President is the head of ITS and is appointed by the Lord Chancellor. He has judicial responsibility for the ITS organisation and ensures that the tribunals are properly constituted and organised, that the chairman and members are adequately trained and that the tribunals function in an independent, impartial and fair way.

ITS is divided into seven regions, each one with a regional chairman to exercise authority on behalf of the President and a headquarters (The Office of the President) in London. The regional centres process appeals work and are responsible for a network of local tribunal venues. Appeals arising from the DATs and CSATs are processed centrally at the Disability Appeal Central Office (DATCO) in Nottingham from April 1992 and at the Child Support Appeal Tribunal Central Office (CSATCO) in Salford from April 1993. A Secretary to the President exercises overall day to day control of administrative matters on behalf of the President.

On the judicial side the President is accountable to the Lord Chancellor, but OPSSAT and later ITS receive their funding from the Department of Health and Social Security and subsequently the Department of Social Security.