Council tax - benefit - appeals

Benefits – Decision Dispute

A claimant who may be affected by a decision regarding council tax benefit may request the council to revise its decision and also the independent appeals tribunal to consider the revised decision.

If you are unhappy or unclear about a decision we make about your benefit, you may be able to:
• Ask us for more information or;
• Ask us to look at the decision again or you may also be able to appeal to an independent tribunal.

Eligibility
Only the “personal affected” by the decision can query it. Normally, it is the claimant who is the “person affected” by the decision. However, there are special rules if you are not claiming the benefit yourself.
For example, a landlord can query a decision about whether Housing Benefit is to be paid directly to him/her or a decision that is made to recover an overpayment of Housing Benefit or excess Council Tax Benefit from him/her.
If you are an appointee for another person you can ask us to look again at a decision about their benefit and you may be able to appeal for them. The letter telling you about the decision will tell you if you can appeal.
An appointee is someone appointed by us to act for a person who cannot act for him or herself.

You have one month from the date of the decision letter or the statement of reasons, whichever is later, to ask us to look at a decision again.

If you ask for an explanation first, the one-month is still counted from the date of the decision letter.

Required Customer Information
If you want more information about a decision, please contact us immediately. You can phone, write or visit us. Many problems are sorted out at this stage when simple mistakes and misunderstandings can be corrected. You must act quickly as you may lose the right to appeal if you delay in responding.
You can contact our Helpline by phone, or come in to one of our offices where a specially trained advisor will explain the decision to you. See our Contact us page for details and opening hours.

If you are unable to do this you can ask for a full written explanation of the decision. You must do this in writing. We will then send you a full written statement as soon as possible.

If you still disagree with the decision after it has been explained, you can ask us to look at the decision again.

If you send a letter, your request must:
• be signed by you
• say what decision you disagree with
be received within one month of the date on the decision letter.

Service Level Agreement and Turnaround
None.

More information about this service

Contact Us

Frequently asked questions

Address:
PO Box 63
Civic Centre
Silver Street
Enfield
EN1 3XW
Map

Telephone:
020 8379 3798
020 8379 1000 for automated benefit information 24hrs a day

Fax:
020 8379 5191

Textphone:
020 8379 4998

Opening Hours:

Phones:
Monday to Friday
8.30 – 4.30

Helpdesks: Civic Centre and John Wilkes House

Principal Revenue Information Outlet:
John Wilkes House
79 High Street
Ponders End
Enfield EN3 4EN
Map

Monday to Friday
9.00am to 4.00pm

For picking up forms and handing in documents, you can also visit:
Edmonton Centre (1st Floor above the Library,)
36-44 South Mall,
Edmonton,
London, N9 0TN
Map

Monday to Friday:
8:30am to 5:00pm

Useful Links

Citizens Advice Bureau

Department for Work and Pensions

Appeals Service