If you disagree with a decision on your Housing benefit and or Council tax support, you can ask us to look at your claim again or ask for a more detailed explanation. If you have had a change in your circumstance for example someone has moved in or out of your home, you need to tell us something has changed.
If you need independent advice, welfare rights organisations such as Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help.
Housing Benefit claims
For Housing Benefit claims please ask us to review your claim within one calendar month of the date of the decision letter. If you are unable to contact us within this time, we may still be able to change the decision. You will need to tell us about the reasons for the delay.
Council Tax Support claims
For Council Tax Support claims there is no time limit, however you will continue to be charged Council Tax in the meantime. You must request a review of your claim within a month of the date of the decision letter.
How to apply for a reconsideration
To complete the ask us to reconsider our decision form, you will need:
- claim reference number, this can be found on your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support award letter
- evidence to support why you disagree with the decision
- if your income is incorrect you will need to provide 2 months or 5 weeks of consecutive payslips
- if your rent is incorrect you will need to provide your tenancy agreement or letter from your landlord
- if a non-dependant's income is incorrect you will need to provide any benefit letter/Universal credit award or payslips (Non dependants are people, aged over 18, who live in a household other than the claimant and their partner)
- if childcare costs are incorrect you will need to provide up to 2 months of childcare charges/invoice from your childcare provider
- if Universal credits is incorrect you will need to provide printouts, or screenshots of your Universal Credit award from your online journal. This must include all elements such as personal element and housing element, all income used in your award, all deductions, and the amount payable to you. These will show on your online journal under 'Home', then 'Payments'
- if savings figure is incorrect you will need to provide 2 months bank statements.
Please complete the form with all supporting evidence. If insufficient evidence is provided, we will be unable to recalculate your award.
What happens next?
We aim to process your request within 20 working days. If you still disagree with our decision after your claim has been reconsidered, you can appeal directly to the valuation tribunal. Direct appeals are only for council tax support claims. There are different tribunals for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support appeals.
Housing Benefit appeals
If we do not change the decision after your claim has been reconsidered, and you still disagree you can appeal the reconsideration decision.
If you do not ask for an appeal to a reconsideration decision and wish to appeal to HM Courts and Tribunals Service, we will check if our decision on the reconsideration request is correct. If we change our decision which you have appealed, we will notify you. If our decision is correct, you will be notified, and we will send your Housing Benefit appeal to HM Courts and Tribunals Service. You do not have to make a further appeal to them.
The Tribunals Service will contact you to ask if you want to continue with your appeal. You can choose to attend a hearing, or it can be heard in your absence using the information you have provided. If you choose to attend a hearing this will usually be in Manchester or Bolton. The Tribunals Service may pay some of your travel costs for going to the hearing.
Council Tax Support appeals
If we do not change our decision, or decide to pay you less Council Tax Support, we will let you know. If you still disagree with our decision, you can then submit an appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service. Please note this is a different organisation from HM Courts and Tribunals Service, who consider Housing Benefit appeals. We do not automatically send your details to the Valuation Tribunals Service; you need to contact them to make an appeal.