Social Security Rights Victoria

Creating the first tool to navigate Disability Support Pension applications

Applying for the Disability Support Pension can take 6 to 18 months and often fails despite eligibility, largely because hidden assessment criteria are never clearly communicated. We partnered with Social Security Rights Victoria to design and build DSP Help -- an online resource and chatbot that gives applicants the information and tools they need to succeed.

Outcomes

Design and launch of DSP Help, the first online resource bringing together the full DSP application process in one place
A Medical Evidence Bot that matches users to the right impairment tables and generates a personalised kit to help their doctor write a successful supporting letter
Clear, user-driven content co-written with SSRV lawyers, covering eligibility, evidence, application, and appeals
Marketing materials to promote the tool online and offline

Services

Service Design

Sectors

A system designed to be difficult to navigate

The Disability Support Pension provides income support for people who cannot work due to permanent illness, injury, or disability in Australia. Despite being essential for many people, getting onto the DSP is notoriously challenging. Eligibility criteria are complex, and success often depends on having very specific types of medical evidence.

Through our research, we learned these complexities create a gruelling journey that can stretch from 6 to 18 months. Social Security Rights Victoria (SSRV), a community legal centre in Melbourne, regularly works with clients whose applications have been rejected despite being eligible. They engaged us to help change that.

A sketch of the complex application process

Uncovering the hidden rules that derail applications

Our interviews with applicants revealed how opaque the system really is. People described being 'drip fed' new requirements throughout the process — only getting the full picture when their case was resolved or their application failed.

At the heart of the system sit 'impairment tables' — a 65-page piece of legislation that Services Australia uses to assess applications. The success of a DSP application hinges on a letter from your doctor that specifically addresses these tables. But since these rules are never clearly communicated to the public, most applicants don't know what a successful application looks like.

On top of this, people with disabilities face unique challenges that make the already difficult process harder. The stress of applying for the DSP often leads to worsening mental health.

Targeting 'the missing middle' for maximum impact

Working with SSRV, we identified 'the missing middle' as our focus — people who could self-serve if the right information and tools were available to them. By equipping this group, we could free up SSRV's limited resources to better serve those with more acute legal needs.

A diagram showing the missing parts to the DSP process

Hearing from people with lived experience

To design something genuinely useful, we needed to hear from people who had lived this experience. We spoke with applicants, support workers, and family members who act in support roles. We also worked closely with SSRV's steering committee, which includes people with deep expertise across disability advocacy, law, policy, and research.

After initial interviews, we prototyped a range of concepts around the theme of 'a digital support worker'. We tested these with support workers and people with lived experience, incorporating their feedback into each iteration. We repeated this cycle throughout the project, engaging the community each time to ensure we delivered something that genuinely served the missing middle.

Postit notes from a design iteration session

Adapting research during COVID-19 lockdowns

The project kicked off weeks before Victoria's first COVID-19 lockdown. While many government payments became more accessible during the pandemic, the DSP was not among them. Remote interviews during lockdowns actually helped us reach some participants more comfortably — particularly those with debilitating disabilities who found it easier to participate from home.

A Miro board showing the technical requirements of the project

Building a comprehensive self-service resource

Our research showed people needed two things: comprehensive information they could trust, and a way to navigate the complex impairment tables. We created a content website and a chatbot to address both needs.

The website provides a thorough overview of the DSP, the application process, and the evidence required for success. We co-wrote the content with SSRV lawyers, capturing what many of our participants wished they had known at the start of their journey.

The first tool to help applicants address the impairment tables

No existing tool helps applicants navigate the fifteen impairment tables — the criteria that make or break applications. Working with SSRV, we created the Medical Evidence Bot to fill this gap. The bot matches users to the impairment tables relevant to their condition and prompts them to self-reflect against the assessment criteria.

At the end of the conversation, users receive a personalised Medical Evidence Kit. We designed this kit with SSRV to help doctors write the supporting letter that is critical to a successful application. It contains detailed instructions on what to include, along with the user's condition information mapped against the relevant tables.

The Medical Evidence bot tool and the Medical Evidence Kit it produces

Designing for clarity and comfort

Participants told us they had been overwhelmed by dense government forms and cold bureaucratic language. We used generous whitespace and highlighted key information to support scanning — essential for people experiencing cognitive fatigue from the application process.

Colour serves as a navigational tool, with each chapter themed to help users orient themselves. Within pages, coloured highlights draw out key information. The warm, soft palette represents our concept of a digital support worker — a deliberate contrast to the impersonal government agencies that applicants found themselves up against.

An example of some of the styles and colours used in the redesign — Some of the design styles used in the sites redesign

Launching DSP Help

The online resource DSPHelp.org.au launched in August 2020. It brings together information about DSP eligibility criteria, gathering medical evidence, applying for the DSP, and what to do if an application is rejected — all in one place.

SSRV offers a 'wraparound' legal service alongside the tool, including advice and representation. People who need more hands-on assistance can call SSRV and ask to speak to a DSP Help Lawyer.

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