The purpose of this Practice Direction is to prescribe procedures to assist the Tribunal to determine an application for an award for counselling expenses, and the forms to be lodged with the Tribunal. This Practice Direction replaces 1 of 2021.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tribunal is in a position to authorise payment for remote psychological or counselling sessions where an award has previously been made for face to face sessions, or upon application to the Tribunal for an award of psychological or counselling sessions.
The purpose of this Practice Direction is to prescribe procedures in relation to the preparation and filing of assessment reports prepared by a psychologist or psychiatrist who will not be providing treatment/counselling to the applicant, the subject of the report.
Guidelines
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tribunal is in a position to authorise payment for remote psychological or counselling sessions where an award has previously been made for face to face sessions, or upon application to the Tribunal for an award of psychological or counselling sessions.
Therefore, where a psychologist/counsellor has already been authorised future counselling for a VOCAT applicant, they can conduct these sessions remotely where they deem appropriate and will be able to seek payment from the Tribunal.