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Formal review
You can apply for a formal review of an ABSTUDY decision we’ve made. You don’t have to ask for an explanation first.
If the decision is about a recovery of a debt, you must apply for a formal review within 3 months from the date we made the decision. This 3 month limit can be extended in special circumstances. You can request a pause on debt repayments during a formal review of a debt decision.
If the decision is about what you’re eligible for, and not about debt recovery, you can apply for a formal review at any time.
Read about how to ask for an explanation or apply for a formal review.
What you can do if you disagree with the Authorised Review Officer’s decision
If you disagree with the Authorised Review Officer’s (ARO) decision about the recovery of a debt, you may ask the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to review the decision. You must apply for a review within 3 months from the date we made the decision. This 3 month limit can be extended in special circumstances. You can request a pause on debt repayments during a formal review of a debt decision.
If you disagree with the ARO’s decision about what you’re eligible for, you can ask the Minister for Social Services to review it. You can’t ask the Minister to review decisions about debt recovery.
Requests for the Minister for Social Services to review a decision must be sent in writing to:
Branch ManagerCarer, Disability and Student Payments
Department of Social Services
GPO Box 9820
Canberra ACT 2601
Only use this address to apply for a review relating to ABSTUDY.
Read more information about explanations and formal reviews of Centrelink decisions.