Changes to the appeal process now in effect

There are some important changes to how we do our work at the Social Security Tribunal (SST). The law has changed, and those changes came into force on December 5, 2022. They include amendments to the SST’s governing legislation, the creation of new SST Rules of Procedure, and new SST Regulations. The earlier SST Regulations have now been repealed. 

Key changes include:

• Appellants now have up to 2 years to prepare for their Canada Pension Plan, Canada Pension Plan disability, or Old Age Security appeals at the General Division. We call these types of appeals “Income Security appeals”
• If someone brings an Income Security appeal to the Appeal Division, these types of appeals will now be dealt with as new proceedings. That means that the Appeal Division can look at new evidence in these cases
• Appellants at the Appeal Division can choose the type of hearing for their appeal
• We now have Rules of Procedure that are designed around what users need. They are also written in plain language. For example, the Rules:
  • Commit the SST to making sure that unrepresented appellants can participate effectively in appeals. We call this active adjudication
  • Simplify the test to give appellants more time to appeal
  • Provide more flexibility for rescheduling hearings
  • Clarify the roles and responsibilities of all the participants in an appeal

Keep an eye on our website and social media accounts for more information in the coming weeks.

We put a lot of work into developing our new processes and Rules. Consultations with our stakeholders and our staff were instrumental in shaping them. We’ve also updated our website.

These changes further advance our commitment to justice that is simple, quick and fair. But they are a milestone, not the end of the road. We will continue to work on improving access to justice.

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.