If you are unhappy with the decision made regarding your benefit, there are several options available to you.
Do you think our decision is wrong?
As soon as you get our decision letter you should check its content. If you think we have made a mistake, you can ask for more information - please call us on 01246 217600.
If you think that we have made a mistake, you can request the following:
- That we look at our decision again, or
- That we pass your case to an independent tribunal that is run by the Tribunals Service, by appealing against the decision
How to Appeal
If you want us to look at our decision again, or if you want to appeal, you must write and tell us why you think our decision is wrong within one calendar month of the date of the letter notifying you of the decision.
What Happens Next?
We will check your claim thoroughly and take account of any more information you have provided with your written request. It may also mean that we have to contact you for further information. We could then:
- Change our decision and pay you more benefit;
- Change our decision and pay you less benefit; or
- Decide the decision is already correct and therefore make no changes.
In any of the above cases we will write to you to let you know what we have decided and the reasons for the decision.
Tribunals Service Referrals
If you have asked us to look at your case again, and you are still not happy with our decision, you can still appeal. Your case will then be referred to the Tribunals Service.
You must do this in writing, within one calendar month of the date of our decision letter.
If you appealed, we will pass your case to the Tribunals Service. We will do this if we have not changed our decision, or if we have changed our decision and we are now paying you less benefit.
Late Appeals
If your appeal is late, and we do not accept your reasons for the delay, your case will still be passed to the Tribunals Service for consideration.
Unaltered Decision
If we are unable to alter our decision, we will prepare your case for an Independent Tribunal and tell you if you need to do anything further. These are administered by the HM Courts and Tribunal Service.
We will send both you and the HM Courts and Tribunals Service a copy of our response. You can choose an oral or paper based hearing. The tribunal will then make a decision on your appeal.