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Wealden District Council > Benefits and Support > Housing Benefit Decisions and Appeals > Council Tax Reduction Disputes and Appeals

Council Tax Reduction Disputes and Appeals

Any decision that affects your entitlement to, or the amount of Council Tax Reduction you receive, can be appealed against. This page tells you what to do if you think a Council Tax Reduction decision is wrong.

Two of our more common areas for dispute relate to:

  1. Council Tax Reduction Reversals (also referred to as overpayments) 
  2. Backdating of Council Tax Reduction 

If you have received a decision on either of these and feel the decision is wrong, please view the  the relevant item for more information that could help you with your dispute.

If you have received a Council Tax Reduction decision and you do not know why, or what the decision is, you should contact us as soon as possible. We will explain the decision to you so that you understand what has happened and why.

You can also find helpful information explaining our letters here.

Our decision letters show you what information we have used to work out your award. You should read the letter carefully to check the details we have used are correct. If you have received a decision from us and you think it is wrong, you should write to us to tell us so. We will then review the decision. When you write to us you should tell us:
  • Which decision you disagree with
  • Why you think the decision is wrong
If there was something we were not aware of when the decision was made

We will review the decision and any additional information you have given us with your request.

If we agree that the decision is wrong, we will correct the decision and send you a new decision letter.

If we review the decision and feel it is correct, we will write to you telling you that the decision has not been changed and why we think the decision is correct.

If you receive our letter and still think the decision was wrong, then you can appeal against our decision.

Your appeal will need to be made directly to the Valuation Tribunal Service and within two months of us telling you that the decision has not been changed.

The Valuation Tribunal details:

Council Tax Reduction Team

3rd Floor

Crossgate House

Wood Street

Doncaster

DN1 3LL

Telephone: 0300 123 2035

Email: appeals@valuationtribunal.gov.uk

You must ask us to review our decision before you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. However, if you have asked us to look at a decision again and we have not contacted you within 2 months, you can submit an appeal to the Valuation Tribunal directly.
The Valuation Tribunal Service will contact both you and us to tell us the date of the hearing. This will also include instruction for the council to provide our full case in response to your appeal. You will receive a copy of our response at least 6 weeks before the hearing date. You will have the chance to provide any additional information you may wish to be included at the hearing following our response. We will then send a copy of our full case to you and the Valuation Tribunal Service at least 2 weeks before the hearing date. The case will then be heard on the date set by the Valuation Tribunal Service.

The Valuation Tribunal Service is independent to the council and will make a judgement on the legal correctness of the decision.

At the hearing, tribunal members will consider the evidence before them and the how the facts apply to the law.

After the hearing, the tribunal will send a notice to both you and the council to say what the decision is.

If the tribunal members feel the CTR decision is correct, then the CTR decision will not be changed.

If the tribunal members feel the CTR decision is wrong, the tribunal’s notice will tell the council what the correct decision is.

View the Valuation Tribunal Service website  for further information.

You do not have to go to the hearing if you do not want to. However, going to the hearing gives you the chance to explain to the tribunal members why you feel the decision is wrong in your own words. It also means that you can answer any questions they may have for you.

The council will usually send an officer to the hearing so that they can answer any questions the tribunal members may have and explain why they feel the decision is correct.