The Appeals Service Northern Ireland (TAS)

This information will help you through the appeal process, after your appeal has been forwarded to the Appeals Service.

What is The Appeals Service?

The Appeals Service Northern Ireland – TAS (NI) handles all the administrative arrangements for your appeal. For example, arranging the date, place, and time of your hearing and issuing the relevant papers connected with the appeal. It is a separate organisation from the Social Security Agency (SSA), Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division (CMED), the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), Land & Property Services (LPS) and the Inland Revenue. The Appeals Service has its own administrative head.

Completing the Enquiry Form – Reg2(i)D

The Enquiry Form Reg2(i)D asks you for information to help the Appeals Service take your appeal forward. It is very important that you fill it in, sign it and return it.

Returning the Enquiry Form

Please return the completed form to the Appeals Service within 14 days. A pre-paid envelope is provided. If you are unable to sort out a representative within that time, do not delay returning the form. Just let TAS have your representative’s details later.

When your completed Enquiry Form is received

What happens next depends on whether you or the other parties to the appeal have asked to attend an oral hearing. If no-one has asked for an oral hearing, TAS will arrange for the appeal papers to be placed before the Tribunal for its decision.

By “the appeal papers” TAS mean the bundle of documents which has been sent to you. TAS will not notify you of the date the papers go before the Tribunal but will send you the Tribunal’s written decision when made.

If you change your mind, and decide you want an oral hearing, you must write immediately to the Tribunal Clerk before your appeal is decided.

If you have said on the form that you want an oral hearing, you need to begin preparing for the hearing, if you haven’t already started.

If you wish to place additional evidence before the Tribunal please send it to the Clerk along with your completed form within 14 days, any evidence received after this date may not be considered by the Tribunal.

You want to continue with your appeal or withdraw

Some people change their mind after starting an appeal and for various reasons decide not to pursue it. Please bear in mind that the Tribunal cannot change the law. It has to apply the law as it stands, even if that leads to an outcome that you think is unfair. Within those limits, the Tribunal has the power to change the decision you are appealing against with the decision it thinks ought to have been made.

Sometimes this might leave you worse off. If you want to withdraw your appeal, just tick the box, sign the form at the end and return it to The Appeals Service (TAS). TAS will contact you no further.

How to continue with your appeal

If you want to continue with your appeal, please tell TAS if you want to attend a hearing. You should then fill in the rest of the form and sign and return it in the envelope provided. You must do so within 14 days.

An “oral hearing” means meeting the Tribunal, so that you and/or your representative, if you have one, can put your case forward in person. The advantage of an oral hearing is that you have an opportunity to speak to the Tribunal and the Tribunal has an opportunity to learn more about your case than it could gather from the appeal papers alone.

TAS will give you at least 14 days’ notice of the precise date and time of your oral hearing. The time is the earliest your appeal will be heard. Although waiting time is kept to a minimum, delays may occur because it is impossible to estimate precisely how long each appeal will last.

If you and the other parties to the appeal do not want an oral hearing, your appeal will still be decided by the Tribunal but on the basis of the appeal papers only. If there’s anything besides the information in the appeal papers you would like the Tribunal to take into account when making its decision, please send it with your completed form.

Representatives

The Enquiry Form asks you for the name of your representative, if you have decided to appoint one. Your representative will have the authority to act on your behalf on the date of hearing, any further applications may require additional authority.

You are very welcome to bring someone along to the hearing if you just want ‘moral support’. There’s no need to give that person’s name on the Form.

Interpreter

If you need, or would prefer to have, the services of an interpreter at the hearing, TAS will arrange for an independent professional interpreter. Using a friend or relative to interpret will not be acceptable.

Signer

If you need, or would prefer to have, the services of someone to sign for you at the hearing, TAS will arrange for an independent, professional signer. Using a friend or relative to sign will not be acceptable.

Induction Loop

An Induction Loop (AFILS) has been installed in one of our tribunal rooms in Cleaver House for the benefit of Hearing Aid Users attending a hearing in the Belfast centre. If you wish to use this facility please tell TAS as soon as possible in order that they can arrange for your appeal hearing to be held in this room.

A portable loop is also available for use in our Omagh centre and all other out centres. If you wish to use this facility please tell TAS as soon as possible.