Housing And Council Tax Benefit Appeals
If you think the decision about your Housing or Council Tax benefit is wrong.
The Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit (Decision and Appeals) Regulations 2001 state that any 'person affected' by a relevant decision can ask the Council to revise its decision. This may be any matter concerning a claim for benefit. For example:
- the amount of benefit payable
- the rent eligible for benefit
- the calculation of a claimants income
- the calculation and recovery of an overpayment
Some decisions, mainly administrative decisions, do not carry a right of appeal. You will be notified if the matter you are disputing does not carry the right of appeal.
If you think that a decision about your Housing Benefit or Council Tax benefit is wrong you can ask us to explain the reasons for the decision. You must do this straight away because if you want us to look at the decision again or if you want to appeal against it, you must do so in writing within one month of the date of the decision letter, not the date you contact the office.
If you are still not happy you can appeal or request a revision of our decision. You have one month from the date of the decision to write and ask us to look at it again.
Appealing against the decision
If we have explained our decision or you have received a written statement of reasons explaining the decision and you still think it is wrong, you can appeal against the decision. You can download and complete a Housing and Council Tax Benefit Appeal Form (please see the Download section on this page) or write to us. Your form or request in writing must be sent back to us within one month of the date of the decision letter.
If we agree that the original decision is wrong we will send you a new decision and your appeal will stop. If we do not change the decision, your appeal will be sent to the Appeals Service.
An Appeal Tribunal made up of experts who are not from the Local Authority will look at the appeal. You will have the opportunity to choose how you would like the appeal to be looked at and whether you want to attend.
If you feel that the Appeal Tribunal's decision is wrong in law you can seek leave to appeal to the Social Security Commissioners.
If you have any further questions regarding appeals you can contact us using the details below.
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