Housing Benefit appeals

This page aims to provide advice about what to do if you think your Housing Benefit decision is wrong.

Request a housing benefit decision review

If you want us to look at the decision given about your Housing Benefit claim again, you should contact us in writing within one month of the date shown on your decision letter.

If a month has already passed since your decision letter, you can still request a review after this time if there were special circumstances as to why you didn't contact us sooner. When writing to us, please tell us about these special circumstances.

Appeal a housing benefit decision

If you have already asked us for an explanation about our decision, or for us to look at the decision again (reconsideration), you can still submit an appeal.

An appeal can be made at any time within one month of the date shown on your decision or reconsideration letter. To appeal our decision, you must tell us in writing:

• which decision you are appealing against, and
• give your reasons.

If we are unable to change the decision to your advantage, your appeal will be heard by an independent tribunal, administered by the Tribunals Service.

If a month has passed since your decision or reconsideration letter, you can still submit an appeal if there were special circumstances as to why you didn't contact us sooner. When writing to us, please tell us about these special circumstances. If there are special circumstances, an appeal may be considered outside this time limit, but there is an absolute time limit of 13 months from the date of the original decision.

Housing benefit appeals process

To find out more about the appeals process please visit the HM Courts and Tribunals Service website (opens new window).

Appeal a Council Tax Support decision

If you want to appeal a decision made about Council Tax Support, you'll need to follow the Council Tax appeals (opens new window) procedure. Council Tax Support appeals are dealt with by the Valuation Tribunal Service, which is a different independent body to the Tribunal Service.

Benefit appeals FAQs

• Who can appeal against a Housing Benefit decision?
  A person affected can appeal against a Housing Benefit decision. This could be:
  - the person who has claimed Housing Benefit
  - the person that we decide to recover an overpayment from
  - someone acting as a receiver appointed by the Court of Protection
  - a person with power of attorney
  - a person appointed by the authority to act for the claimant.
   
• How long will I have to wait for a response?
  We aim to provide written explanations and reconsideration's within one month of receiving the request. We aim to submit Housing Benefit appeals to the Tribunal Service within one month of receiving the appeal. The Tribunal Service may take up to three months to contact you with a decision or a date for the Tribunal hearing.
  
  Please note: due to COVID-19 the time taken for the Tribunal Service to contact you with a hearing date may be longer than usual.