Housing benefit appeals and disputes

What you can and can't appeal against

When you apply for housing benefit, we will give you a decision in writing about your claim. If you disagree with it, you can ask us to look at it again or appeal to an independent tribunal.

If you need to dispute a council tax support decision, please go to council tax support appeals and disputes, as the rules are slightly different.

You can:

  • Ask us to explain our decision
  • Ask us to look at your claim again
  • Appeal against our decision to an independent tribunal

These rules also apply to any decision made about council tax benefit, which was abolished on 1 April 2013.

Decisions you cannot appeal against:

You can ask us to look again at any decision you think is wrong. But there are some decisions you can't dispute or appeal against, for example:

  • Any figure laid down in law, such as the capital limit
  • The level of local housing allowance or the broad rental market area on which it is based
  • How often we pay you and by what method
  • How we recover an amount we overpaid you
  • If you think our decision about a discretionary housing payment is wrong
  • A decision to apply the benefit cap, advised by the Department for Works and Pensions

Last updated: 19/06/2023 09:59