You can get extra help and advice from the Benefit Section, or centres like the Citizens Advice Bureau and law centres. Their addresses can be found in the business section of the phone book. Remember. You must make an appeal within one month of the benefit decision letter. Late appeals may not be accepted unless there are special circumstances.
HOUSING/COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT
TRIBUNAL APPEAL
What happens now?
HARBOROUGH DISTRICT COUNCIL Council Offices, Benefit Section Adam & Eve Street Market Harborough Leicester. LE16 7AG
Postal address: Revenues and Benefits Service PO Box 9262 Market Harborough LE16 0FJ
The Appeals Service (Jun 2001)
Benefit Telephone: 01858 828282
Appeal to first tier tribunal You have received either :
You can choose how you want your appeal looked at. You can have an oral or paper hearing. Oral Hearing
a letter detailing your benefit award You can go to the Tribunal Hearing. a statement or further information A letter saying that our previous decision is correct They may ask you questions, you can ask questions. You can take someone with you to represent you. The Appeals Service may pay some of your expenses for going to the hearing. If you want more information contact the Appeals Service office handling your appeal. Paper Hearing This is an appeal you do not go to. You should enclose any information which you think will help your case, when sending the form to the Appeals Service. The Appeals Service will write to you when they have made their decision. What the tribunal looks at The tribunal can only look at the evidence, the law and the circumstances at the time we made the decision you are appealing against. Tribunal members will be experts on the issues involved in your appeal. All tribunals have a legally qualified member to help apply the law to your appeal. Upper tribunal
but you think our decision is wrong. You may therefore make an appeal to a first tier tribunal. The Appeals Service, who will hear your appeal, are an independent tribunal which is not made up of people from the Council. You should complete the leaflet ‘what to do if you think our decision is wrong’, or write a separate letter to say why you do not agree with our decision. This is important because the tribunal does not have to look at anything you do not mention. Please ensure that you clearly state that it is a first tier tribunal appeal that you are requesting. This should be done within one month of the date of our decision notice and it should be sent to the address on the front of this leaflet. Late appeals can only be accepted if there are special circumstances for the delay. We will then send your appeal and an explanation of the law, and facts used to make the decision on your claim, to the Appeals Service. You will also receive a form with the information. You must complete the form and send it to the Appeals Service within 14 days of the date the form was sent to you. You should also include any information which might help your case. If you do not return the form, your appeal will stop.
If you disagree with a decision made by a first tier tribunal you can then appeal to a upper tribunal. However such further appeals can only be made if the first tier tribunal has made an error of law.