Finance and Asset Management Service

HOUSING AND COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT - RIGHT OF APPEAL

When you apply for Housing or Council Tax Benefit, we will give you a decision in writing about your claim.

If you disagree with it, you can ask us to look at it again.

There are different ways in which you can do this.

You can contact us to:

• ask us to explain our decision;
• ask us to look at your claim again; or
• appeal against our decision

Explanation of our decision

You can ask us to give you a statement (called a ‘statement of reasons’) in writing to explain how we made our decision. This does not affect your right to appeal against our decision. The time we take to provide the statement will mean you have more time to ask us to look at our decision again or to lodge an appeal.

Request for us to look at your claim again

You must write to us within one month of the date on the decision letter. The decision will be checked by a different officer to the one who made the original decision; to see if it is correct.

If we can change our decision:

• we will send you a letter explaining our new decision.

If we cannot change our decision

• we will send you a letter explaining why; and
• you have one more month from the date of this letter to appeal.

Appealing against our decision

You must appeal in writing. You must send your appeal to the office shown on your decision letter within one calendar month of the date on the letter.

The Appeals Service will make a decision about your appeal at an appeals tribunal hearing. The tribunal hearing is made up of people who are independent from us.

It is important that you give your reasons for appealing because the tribunal does not have to look at anything you don’t mention in your letter or appeal form. The tribunal can only look at the evidence, the law, and the circumstances at the time the original decision was made.

Remember, if the appeal tribunal finds you have been getting too much money, we will reduce your benefit.

Contact us by writing to this address.