Benefits and Council Tax

Appeals

In this section

Appeals

If you disagree with a decision that has been made about your Council Tax bill, Business Rates, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support, then you have the right appeal.

Find out more using the links below:

Appeal Business Rates rates bill
Appeal liability to pay Council Tax
Appeal valuation bands Council Tax
Housing benefit and council tax support appeals

Appeal Business Rates rates bill

If you wish to appeal against your rateable value, it is free to do so, visit the Valuation Office Agency website.

You do not have to be represented in discussions about your rateable value or your rates bill, however if you do wish to be represented, qualified and regulated members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV), can provide this service.

Further information on Business Rates can be found on the Businesslink website.

Appeal liability to pay Council Tax or Business Rate

You may also appeal if you consider that you are not liable to pay, i.e. you don't live there or do not own the property, or we have made a mistake calculating your bill.

If you wish to appeal on these grounds you must contact us in writing with the details, and we will readily review the situation.

Please note: Making an appeal does not allow you to withhold payment of tax owing in the meantime. If your appeal is successful you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid tax.

If you make an appeal and you are still not satisfied that a proper decision has been reached, you can contact the Listing Officer.

You can find more information on the Valuation Tribunal Service website.

Appeal Council Tax valuation bands

All Council Tax valuations are based on the price a property would have fetched if it had been sold on 1 April 1991.

Any increase or fall in a dwelling's value which results from general changes in the housing market since then, will not affect your Council Tax band. However, you can appeal if:

There is a big increase or reduction in the value of your home
You start or stop using part of the home for business
You have just moved address (you must appeal within six months of your move)
The Listing Officer alters the band
We are sending bills to the wrong person for your home
Your home should be an exempt dwelling (view discounts and exemptions)
the amount of the bill is incorrect, for example, if you think a discount should apply or if the council has not reduced the bill for a disability.

Please note: The Listing Officer can increase your band if an error has been made. If you think your band is too low you may wish to can contact the Listing Officer.

If you make an appeal and you are still not satisfied that a proper decision has been reached, you can contact the Listing Officer.

You can find more information on the Valuation Tribunal Service website.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support appeals

If you think that our decision about your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support is wrong, you can ask us to explain the reasons for the decision, ask us to look at the decision again or appeal against the decision.

The decision could be about:

the amount of benefit payable
the rent eligible for the benefit
the calculation of a claimant's income
the calculation and recovery of an overpayment
council tax banding

Housing Benefit appeals

1. You must appeal in writing within one month of the date of the decision letter (not the date you contact the office).

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Post: Revenues and Benefits, PO Box 11, Pershore, WR10 1PU

2. If you disagree with the reply, you have the right to appeal again or request a revision of our decision. You have one month from the date of the decision to write and ask us to look at it again.

3. If we have explained our decision and you still think it is wrong, you can appeal against it. Your request in writing must be sent back to us within one month of the date of the decision letter.

4. If we agree that the original decision is wrong we will send you a new decision and your appeal will stop. If we do not change the decision, your appeal will be sent to the Appeals Service. An independent Appeal Tribunal, made up of experts appointed by the Appeals Service will look at the appeal.

View Appeals Service website.

If you feel that the Appeal Tribunal's decision is wrong in law, you can seek to appeal to the Social Security Commissioners.

Council Tax Support appeals

1. If you want us to look at the decision again, you must do it in writing within one month of the date of the decision letter, (not the date you contact the office).

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Post: Revenues and Benefits, PO Box 11, Pershore, WR10 1PU

2. If you are not happy after our reply, you can appeal, of which there is no time limit. If you are still not happy with the outcome, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

Some decisions, mainly administrative decisions, do not carry a right of appeal. We will tell you if what you are disputing does not carry the right of appeal.

If you have any further questions regarding appeals please contact us via our contact us page.