Individuals turn to the Social Security Tribunal (SST) to appeal government decisions related to their Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security benefits. These benefits are critical components of Canada’s social safety net. A significant portion of the appeals before the Tribunal involves denials of CPP Disability benefits. The majority of these appellants before the Tribunal do not have professional representation.
Low income appellants living with disabilities often struggle with navigating through large volumes of required documents leading up to a hearing, especially without support and reliable digital access. It is difficult to prepare for and participate in a virtual hearing using only a mobile phone. These accessibility issues raise serious concerns.
In June 2025, ISAC participated in the SST’s Income Security Appeals Consultative Committee meeting to contribute to discussions about accessibility challenges for self-presented appellants in managing with large volumes of documents. Building on these discussions, ISAC submitted formal recommendations to the SST. See submissions here.