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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Benefits and money
    3. Benefits and financial support
    4. Guide to benefits
    5. After claiming benefits

    Appeal a benefits decision

    Information on how to appeal a benefits decision, a housing benefit decision, a decision by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or a Child Maintenance Service decision.

    Covid-19

    In addition to face to face oral hearings, The Appeals Service (TAS) continues to offer hearings which allow appellants and panel members to take part with the use of teleconference and video technology.

    Face to face hearings are taking place in strict compliance with the government guidelines on social distancing at a number of venues including:

    • Cleaver House Belfast
    • Omagh Library
    • Ballybot House, Newry
    • Coleraine Enterprise Causeway
    • Ballymena Business Development Centre
    • The Junction, Dungannon
    • Strabane Enterprise Centre
    • Hollywell Centre, Londonderry
    • The Jethro Centre, Craigavon and some court venues as and when required

    TAS will continue to contact appellants by telephone and/or letter when their case is being listed for hearing.

    An information booklet is available about what to expect at every stage of the benefits appeals process.  

    Changes to medical records procedures

    In order to make sure compliance with data protection regulations, the Appeals Service (TAS), has now changed the way appellants medical records are requested and held. TAS no longer requests and stores an appellant’s medical records, either from GP surgeries or hospitals.

    Appellants are not obligated to provide medical evidence to a tribunal. It is their decision to do so if they feel it helps their appeal, something appellants can continue to seek advice on from representatives/legal advisors.

    • Information for appellants, appointees, & representatives

    Appeal a decision

    Before you make an appeal, you must first ask the office that made the decision to formally reconsider it. This is known as a Mandatory Reconsideration.

    You should contact the appropriate Jobs and Benefits office or Benefits Office that made the decision or download and complete form MR2(NI).

    Following this, you will receive a copy of the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.  This is the letter or online notification which confirms the office that made the decision has looked at it again.

    If you still wish to appeal against the decision following your Mandatory Reconsideration Notice, you must send your appeal to the Appeals Service.

    Appeal form NOA1 (SS)

    You can complete online, download and complete appeal form NOA1 (SS) or request a form from the Appeals Service. 

    Appeal in writing

    You can also appeal by writing a letter to the Appeals Service instead of using a form. Your appeal must:

    • be in writing
    • provide reasons for the appeal
    • be signed by you or someone legally authorised to act on your behalf
    • include the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice

    Time limit for benefit appeals

    Your appeal must be received by the Appeals Service within one month from the date of the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.

    If your appeal is late, you must explain why.  There is space on the form to do this. 

    Appeal a Housing Benefit decision

    If you are a tenant, Housing Benefit is dealt with by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. If you are a homeowner, it is dealt with by Land and Property Services.

    If you think a decision about your Housing Benefit is wrong, or that important facts or evidence have been overlooked, you should contact the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or Land and Property Services.

    Appeal a decision by HMRC

    His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for decisions about:

    • Tax Credits
    • Child Benefit
    • Guardians’ Allowance

    If you think a decision is wrong, before you appeal you must first ask HMRC to reconsider its decision. This is known as Mandatory Reconsideration.

    Contact HMRC for information on Mandatory Reconsiderations before trying to appeal.

    • Form WTC/AP Tax Credits if you think a decision is wrong
    • Tax Credits helpline
    • Form CH24A Child Benefit or Guardian's Allowance if you think a decision is wrong
    • Child Benefit helpline

    Following Mandatory Reconsideration you will receive a copy of the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.  This is the letter or online notification which confirms the office that made the decision has looked at it again.

    If you still wish to appeal following the Mandatory Reconsideration, you must send your appeal to the Appeals Service.

    Appeal form NOA1 (HMRC)

    You can complete online, download and complete appeal form NOA1  from HMRC or request a form from the Appeals Service.

    Appeal in writing

    You can also appeal by writing a letter to the Appeals Service instead of using a form.

    Your appeal must:

    • be in writing
    • provide reasons for the appeal
    • be signed by you or someone legally authorised to act on your behalf
    • include the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice

    Time limits for HMRC appeals

    Child Benefit or Guardian’s Allowance appeals must be received by the Appeals Service within one calendar month of the date the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice was sent to you.

    Tax Credit appeals must be received by the Appeals Service within 30 days from the date the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice was sent to you.

    If your appeal is late, you must explain why. There is a space on the form to do this. In special circumstances, a late appeal may be accepted up to 13 months after the date the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice was sent to you.

    Appeal a Child Maintenance Service decision

    If you think your child maintenance decision is wrong, or important facts or evidence have been overlooked, you must first ask Child Maintenance Service to reconsider its decision. This is known as a Mandatory Reconsideration.

    Following this, you will receive a copy of the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice.  This is the letter or online notification which confirms the office that made the decision has looked at it again.

    If you still wish to appeal against the decision following your Mandatory Reconsideration Notice, you must send your appeal to the Appeals Service.

    Appeal form NOA1 (CM)

    You can complete online, download and complete appeal form NOA1 (CM) or request a form from the Appeals Service. 

    Appeal in writing

    You can also appeal by writing a letter to the Appeals Service instead of using a form. Your appeal must:

    • be in writing
    • provide reasons for the appeal
    • be signed by you or someone legally authorised to act on your behalf
    • include the Mandatory Reconsideration Notice

    Appeal a Compensation Recovery Scheme decision

    Information and forms to appeal a Recovery of benefits decision or Recovery of Health Service Charges decision is on the Department for Communities website.

    When your appeal is received

    The Appeals Service will check it has all the information it needs. If information is missing, it will write to you. If you do not provide the missing information, the tribunal may decide your appeal cannot be accepted and no further action will be taken.

    If you have sent all the required information, the Appeals Service will write to you to confirm your appeal has been received and provide information on what to do next. It will also write to the Department that made the decision you are appealing and ask it to prepare a written response to the appeal for the tribunal. You will be sent a copy of its response along with an information leaflet on what to do next. 

    Benefit appeal hearings

    Benefit appeal hearings are held by an independent tribunal. Information on what to expect at a tribunal and how to prepare for you hearing is available on the Benefit appeal hearings page.

    More useful links

    • Advice NI
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    After claiming benefits

    • Appeal a benefits decision
    • Becoming an appointee for social security benefits
    • Benefit appeal hearings
    • Benefits: report a change in your circumstances
    • Going abroad
    • Over-payments of benefits and financial support
    • Standards Assurance Unit review to check your benefit payment
    • Waiving recovery of an over-payment
    • What happens to your benefits if you go to prison

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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