Benefit disputes and appeals
When we have dealt with your claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support we will send you a decision letter.
What if I do not fully understand the decision?
If you do not fully understand your decision letter you can ask for an explanation. This request can be emailed to benefits@nfdc.gov.uk within one month of the date of our decision letter or you can use the form below.
What if I disagree with the decision?
If you do not agree with a decision made when we assess your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support award then you can ask for it to reconsidered.
This must be done in writing, by emailing benefits@nfdc.gov.uk or using our form below, and this request must be made within one month of the date of the decision in dispute.
If you contact us after one month we may not be able to consider your dispute.
What happens next?
We will review our decision.
We will send you a letter, or email, stating if we have been able to change our decision or not, and the reasons for our decision.
If we have not been able to change our decision then you can then request a formal appeal of this decision.
This involves an independent third party hearing the case and making a final decision.
For Housing Benefit claims this will be the HM Courts and Tribunals Service and for Council Tax Support this will be the Valuation Tribunal Service.
Decisions you cannot appeal against
You can ask us to look at any decision you think is wrong but there are some decisions which do have a formal right of appeal and therefore the tribunal may choose not to hear the case.
For example:
- a decision on who to recover an overpayment from
- Local Housing Allowance amounts
- a decision to suspend a benefit claim whilst awaiting further information.
Request an explanation or appeal a decision
To request an explanation or appeal a decision please use the form below.
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