APPEALS
What can I do if I have received notification about my award for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit and I disagree with the way it has been assessed?
You need to make a request in writing to our office within
one month of the date on the letter sent to you advising you
of the decision. You will need to state the reason(s) why you
wish to appeal.
You have two options:
OPTION ONE
You can ask us to look at our decision again
If you want a basic statement confirming the reason(s) why
your claim has been calculated in such a way you can have this
first. The time taken to provide you of this is not taken into
account when allowing you your month in which to appeal.
What will happen if I do?
- We will check if the decision is correct a different member of staff will do this from the original assessment
- If the decision is wrong we will change it and send you a letter advising you of this
What will happen if the decision is still not
changed?
- We will send you a letter telling you we have not changed our decision
- This letter will tell you if you can appeal against our decision to a Tribunal to hear your appeal
- A further month will be allowed for you to respond to this letter if you wish to continue with your appeal
OPTION TWO
You can request that your request go to a Tribunal to hear
your appeal (Independent from the Council).
What will happen if I do?
- We will check that our decision is correct ( this may have already occurred if you have previously asked for option one)
What will happen if the decision is still not
changed?
- We will send your appeal and an explanation of our assessment including details of the law we have referred to in making our decision to the Tribunals Service who hold the appeals tribunals
- A copy of all the details that will be sent will also be forwarded to you along with a form asking you to confirm what type of hearing you would like. You have the choice between either an oral or a paper hearing
FURTHER INFORMATION
What is an appeal Tribunal?
An appeal Tribunal is a panel of one or more people, at least
one of must be legally qualified to appear. The Tribunals
Service is a government department that deals with appeals. It is
also responsible for appeals from Social Security Benefit
claimants.
What is the difference between an oral hearing and a paper
hearing?
An oral hearing is an appeal hearing that you can
attend.
The Tribunals Service will notify you in writing of the date
and place at which you can attend. You can take with you someone to
represent and/or be a witness for you. The tribunal may wish to ask
you and your representative questions to clarify your appeal. A
representative from our service may also attend who may also be
asked questions.
The Appeal Service will notify you of the outcome of your
appeal at the date you appear of within a few days after.
A paper hearing is an appeal hearing based on the paperwork
only.
You will not be notified of the date when your appeal will be
looked at but you will be notified of the decision when it is
made.
You should use the form that we will send you with all the
paperwork to be presented to the appeal Tribunal to add any more
information you think may be relevant to your appeal. If at this
time you change your mind and wish to attend the appeal you will
need to contact the Tribunals Service straight
away in order for this to be changed.
Where can I get any help to appeal against a
decision?
You can get free independent advice from:
Peterborough Citizens Advice Centre
41a Park Road
Peterborough
PE1 1SQ
41a Park Road
Peterborough
PE1 1SQ
Tel No 0844 499 4120
You can also speak to a solicitor if you wish.
Do I need to complete a form in order to appeal against a
decision?
No, but we will need enough information to treat any request
as an appeal so we do have a standard form that you can complete
for ease. You can contact our office or visit us where you can be
given assistance to complete one.
Who can I contact to see how my Appeal is getting
on?
You can telephone the Appeals Team on 01733 452676
OR
Visit our Customer Service Centre located at Bayard Place,
Broadway, Peterborough
OR
Email the Appeals Team at benappeals@peterborough.gov.uk
Please note that you can ask for an explanation at any time
regarding any decision made by this service.