Appeal a Housing Benefit decision
(For help with Council Tax Support explanations, reviews and appeals please go to Council Tax support – Council Tax support | NELC)
Check your letters and bills
First you should check all your Housing Benefit letters carefully to make sure they are correct. If you think they are wrong, you must inform us straight away.
Explanation of the Decision
If you would like to have a Housing Benefit calculation or decision explained in more detail, then contact the benefits team in writing with your claim reference number, describe which decision you would like an explanation of and why. This must be received within a month of the decision notice.
Review of the decision
After receiving your explanation, if you still think that the decision is incorrect, you can ask us to reconsider the decision.
Your request needs to be in writing, received within a month of the explanation or decision notice, marked clearly as a reconsideration request. You must state which decision you are disputing and why.
We will check our decision and write to you:
If we do not change the decision, we will send you a letter to explain the reasons why and tell you your further appeal rights
If we change the decision, you will receive a new decision letter/Housing Benefit notifications. These will show your new dispute rights.
Appeal our decision
If you are still unhappy about our decision after receiving a reconsideration you can appeal.
Housing Benefit appeals must be made direct to our benefit team within one month of the date on the reconsideration decision letter. Valid appeals will be sent to the tribunal service. Find out more on GOV.UK – HM courts and tribunals service .
The Coronavirus guidance for the Tribunal Service can be found on the Courts and Judiciary Tribunals website.
You can only appeal to the Council about your Housing Benefit claim.
To make an appeal complete Appeal a Housing Benefit decision .
If you are not able to do this online then you can print and return the Housing Benefit and Council Tax support appeals form (PDF, 180KB)
Make sure you explain clearly the reason you are appealing, because the tribunal service will not consider anything you do not mention in your appeal.
Late appeals
We may not be able to accept your appeal if we receive it more than one month after the decision notice has been issued or the date of the reconsideration decision letter.
Late appeals can only be accepted if there are special circumstances that caused a delay to the appeal.
In your appeal, you need to explain the reasons for it being late. A legally qualified tribunal judge will look at these reasons and decide if they can accept your late appeal.
Find out more about the Tribunal Service GOV.UK – HM courts and tribunals service – external site.
An online form is available to request an explanation, reconsideration or an appeal. Appeal a Housing Benefit decision – external site.
If you are not able to do this online then you can print and return the Housing Benefit and Council Tax support appeals form (PDF, 180KB)