Reduced fees and fee waivers

Reduced fees

If you are a pensioner or student receiving an allowance, or receiving help from a community legal centre, you may be eligible to pay a reduced fee.

Who is eligible for a reduced fee?
You are eligible for the reduced fee if you:

• receive a pension, benefit or allowance under Ch 2 of the Social Security Act 1991
• receive a service pension under Part III or special rate of pension under section 24 of the Veterans Entitlements Act 1986
• receive a pension from the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs as:
  • the surviving spouse, of a member of the Australian Defence Force or Peacekeeping Forces
  • the unmarried or widowed mother of a deceased unmarried member of the Australian Defence Force or Peacekeeping Forces
• in full-time education at a school, college or university and receive a student assistance allowance from a Commonwealth Government authority
• receive a grant of legal aid or assistance from a community legal centre.

A Health Care Card or Seniors Card alone is not a valid card for the purpose of paying a reduced fee.

How much is the reduced fee?
The reduced fee is 25% or a quarter of the full fee (rounded up or down to the nearest whole dollar). Refer to the fees and charges schedule for the current reduced fee amounts.

How do I request the reduced fee? 
When applying to NCAT, you must provide a copy of any of the following:

• your card that shows that you receive a pension or some other relevant benefit or allowance
  
• your student identification card
  
• a letter from Legal Aid or the community legal centre saying that they are giving you assistance.
  

Photocopy both sides of your pension or allowance card or other document if it has writing on both sides.

Fee waivers

The Principal Registrar can waive any fee in whole or in part if the Principal Registrar considers there are special reasons to do that.  

Who is eligible for a fee waiver?
You may be eligible for a full or partial fee waiver if paying the fee would cause you serious hardship or if there is some other special reason.  

How do I request a fee waiver?
You must complete the 'Request for fee waiver form' and attach a copy of all supporting documents. You cannot request a fee waiver via NCAT Online.

• Request for fee waiver form (PDF , 85.3 KB)​.

You should provide the 'Request for fee waiver form' and supporting documents when you give your NCAT application or appeal, by post or in person, to your nearest NCAT Registry or to Service NSW. 

Where there is more than one applicant, each applicant must have a special reason for requesting a waiver of the fee.  

What happens next?

A decision whether or not to waive the whole or part of the fee is made based on the information and supporting documentation you provide with the request.

You will be told how much you need to pay, either no fee, part of the fee or the full fee.

A fee waiver is only valid for the fee you are asking not to pay. You will need to apply again if you want any other fee waived.

Fee exemptions

What NCAT applications or appeals are exempt from fees?

You do not have to pay a fee for:

• any application in NCAT's Guardianship Division, except appeal or set-aside applications
• any application in NCAT's Occupational Division Health Practitioner List
• an administrative review application under the Community Services (Complaints, Reviews and Monitoring) Act 1993
• a general application or external appeal under the: 
  • Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983
  • Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 
  • Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001
  • Dormant Funds Act 1942
  • Local Government Act 1993
  • Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014
  • Public Notaries Act 1997.