Appeal a housing benefits decision

If a decision is not changed, you can appeal, and you have one month to contact us to let us know you want to appeal.

How to appeal

If you want to appeal against the decision, you should email us clearly stating this and include all the reasons and evidence to support why you think it is wrong. Please email claimappeal@lichfielddc.gov.uk

If you need help with your appeal, you can contact the benefits team or, if you prefer, an external organisation such as the Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help.

About appealing

Appeals are heard by the Tribunal Service, which is an external independent organisation.

Before an appeal goes to the Tribunal Service, we will look at your claim again to see if we can resolve the dispute. If the decision is changed at this point we will write to you and you will have fresh dispute rights.

If the decision is not changed, the benefits team will prepare a report that is sent to you and the Tribunal Service and any representative you may have told us about.

If you have had a change of circumstances that could affect your benefit, you should tell us straightaway and do not wait for the appeal hearing.

The tribunal hearing

The Tribunal Service will decide your appeal at a tribunal hearing. Both you and a representative from the council will be invited to attend, although the hearing will go ahead if you don't want to be present. You can bring someone with you to assist you at the hearing.

The tribunal members will be experts on the issues involved in your appeal and will have one legally qualified member who is not from the council. The tribunal can only look at the evidence, the law and the circumstances at the time the decision was made and will hear evidence from you and the council and will make its decision.

You will be notified in writing about the decision. The tribunal will include information about your rights if you disagree with the decision.

If you need further information please visit the Tribunal Service website or pick up a leaflet from the council offices.

Extending time limits to appeal

If you appeal more than one month from the date of the decision, we cannot extend the time limit, only the Appeals Tribunal can do this.

We will still refer your claim to them, attaching any information you provide supporting the reasons why the appeal was late. The tribunal will write to you to confirm whether your appeal can still go ahead.