What we do
The Social Security Tribunal (SST) is an independent administrative tribunal that makes decisions on social security appeals.
How we’re set up
We hear appeals related to:
- Employment Insurance benefits
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits
- Other CPP benefits
- Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits
We have two levels of decision-making:
- The General Division is the first level of appeal, where you can appeal your reconsideration decision from Service Canada.
- The Appeal Division is the second level of appeal, where you can appeal your decision from the General Division.
The General Division and the Appeal Division are separate from each other. The members who decide your appeal at the General Division are different from the members who decide your appeal at the Appeal Division.
You can read about the laws and regulations that give the SST its mandate, structure and rules, as well as about the other laws and regulations that the SST follows.
How SST members make decisions
The SST members are the decision makers in appeals. To decide an appeal, SST members look at the law and the facts.
At the General Division, that means they:
- read the evidence that all the parties send in
- listen to what the parties and any witnesses have to say during a hearing
- look at the law and the facts to make a decision
Members do the same at the Appeal Division for CPP, CPP disability, OAS and GIS appeals.
EI appeals at the Appeal Division are different. In those appeals, members review the General Division decision and hear arguments from the parties. They decide whether the General Division made certain errors.
When a member is working on the decision, they can talk about legal or policy issues with our Legal Services team or with other members. This helps them make the best decision that they can. But no one can interfere in their decision-making process or tell them how to decide an appeal. They make the decision independently.
Where we do our work
Our headquarters are in Ottawa.
SST members work in different locations across Canada.
We offer 4 types of hearings:
- Teleconference hearings
- Videoconference hearings on your personal device
- Videoconference hearings at a Service Canada Centre near you
- In-person hearings at a Service Canada Centre near you
Our values
We focus on a few core values in our work. Very simply, we’re committed to making our appeal process accessible, fair, quick, and transparent. We also believe in and follow the values and ethics of the public service.
Learn more about our values as an organization.