Tell us, the Benefits Service, if you are unhappy about a decision on Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support.
Do not tell us if:
- you get help with rent costs from Universal Credit and are unhappy with the decision. You must contact the Department for Work and Pensions instead; or
- you are 60 or over and getting Pension Credit, and you think we have used incorrect income and savings details to assess your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support. You must appeal to the Pension Service because we only use details they provide.
We always write to you to explain our decisions and you have a legal right to challenge most of them, including:
- whether you can get benefit or support
- how much you get
- how we pay it
- what happens if we pay too much
There are some decisions you can't challenge
This is how to challenge:
-
Ask us (the Benefits Service) to explain our decision more fully.
-
Appeal about Housing Benefit to an independent appeal tribunal.
-
Appeal about Council Tax Support to the Valuation Tribunal Service.
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Still appeal about Council Tax Benefit to an independent appeal tribunal if you have had a decision from us since Council Tax Benefit was abolished.
If your appeal is about Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and/or Council Tax Benefit, an independent appeal tribunal will deal with the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit appeal and the Valuation Tribunal Service will deal with your Council Tax Support appeal.