Council Tax reduction and Housing Benefit appeals

When we make a decision about your Council Tax Reduction we send you a decision notice telling you about the decision.

The notice we send you tells you how we have calculated your entitlement to Council Tax Reduction; the income and savings we have used; the deductions we are taking for other people living with you; and the amount of Council Tax Reduction (if any) you are entitled to receive each week.

You must check the information on the decision notice carefully and tell us immediately if any of the details on the notice are wrong or if anything is missing.

Ask us to explain

If you receive a Council Tax Reduction decision notice and you think something is wrong or missing you can ask us to explain:

• E-mail us at counciltax@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
• Write to us at the Revenues and Benefits Team, William Patrick Library, 2-4 West High Street, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1AD; or
• Telephone us on 0800 901057.

We will give you an explanation of the decision.

If you disagree with a decision we have made about your Council Tax Reduction you can ask us to look at the decision again. This is called a review.

A request for a review must be made in writing.

You can either

• E-mail your request for a review to benefits@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or
• Send your request for a review to the Revenues and Benefits Team, William Patrick Library, 2-4 West High Street, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1AD.

Your request must include the following information:

• Your name, address and Council Tax Reduction reference number
• What decision you disagree with
• What you think is wrong with the decision and why.

Yes. You have two months from the date the decision was made to request a review.

When we receive a request for a review a different officer will look at the decision again.

Your award will be checked to see if it was correct or whether it should be changed.

When we have reviewed the decision we will write and let you know the outcome of the review.  We will do this within two months of the date we receive your request for a review.

We may have to write to you for additional information and evidence to help us review our decision.

If we change the decision we will write to you telling you how we have changed our decision and send you a revised bill.  

If you still think the decision about your Council Tax Reduction is wrong after we have reviewed it, you can appeal against it to the Local Taxation Chamber. This is an independent tribunal set up by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

Appeals to the Local Taxation Chamber are made directly to them.

You cannot appeal to the Local Taxation Chamber unless you have first appealed the decision with the local authority and either you have received a decision that you are still unhappy with; or two months have passed since you wrote to us and you have not received a reply.

Appeals to the Local Taxation Chamber are made directly to them. 

You need to complete an application form and send it to:

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
Local Taxation Chamber
Bothwell House
First Floor, Hamilton Business Park
Caird Park
Hamilton
ML3 0QA

Tel: 01698 390012
E mail: LTCAdmin@scotcourtstribunals.gov.uk
Website: www.localtaxationchamber.scot

The application form can be downloaded from the Local Taxation Chamber’s website. If you have any problems downloading this application form you should contact the Local Taxation Chamber about this immediately.

The Local Taxation Chamber will tell you what information, documents and evidence they require to progress your appeal.

Yes. An appeal to the Local Taxation Chamber must be received within 42 days of the date we wrote to you regarding the outcome of your review; or within two months of you writing to ask us to look at the bill again and not receiving a reply.

Yes. Even if you think a decision about your Council Tax Reduction is wrong you still need to pay your Council Tax as billed.

If the decision is changed in your favour any money you have paid will be taken into account when your bill is recalculated. If your Council Tax account is in credit following the recalculation we will be able to refund any amounts you have overpaid whilst the appeal was being decided. Failure to pay your council tax will result in recovery action and may result in additional costs.

If you need more information about anything on this page you should contact the Revenues and Benefits Team at benefits@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or telephone us on 0800 901057.

When we make a decision about your Housing Benefit we will send you a decision notice telling you about the decision.

This notice will tell you how we have calculated your entitlement to Housing Benefit; the income; savings and rent we have used; any deductions we are taking for other people living with you; the amount of Housing Benefit (if any) you are entitled to receive each week; and how we are going to pay your benefit.

You must check the information on the decision notice carefully and tell us immediately if any of the details on the notice are wrong or if anything is missing.

If you think the decision we have made is wrong you can ask us to:

• Provide a more detailed explanation of how we have worked out your Housing Benefit – this is called a Statement of Reasons
• Look at our decision again – this is called a reconsideration
• Request a formal appeal to an independent tribunal.

Asking us to explain a decision

If you think a decision we have made is wrong you can ask us explain it. You can contact us by telephone on 0800 901057 and speak to an officer who will explain the decision we have made.

If you want a more detailed explanation you can request a written Statement of Reasons. You must request a statement of reasons in writing (we cannot take this request over the telephone). You can do this by e-mailing us at benefits@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or writing to us at the Revenues and Benefits Team, William Patrick Library, 2-4 West High Street, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1AD.

You must do this within one month of the date of the decision it relates to. The date of the decision can be found on the decision notice.

Your request must include the following information:

• Your name; address and Housing Benefit reference number (an email address and/or telephone would also be very helpful)
• Details of the decision you want more information about (e.g. the date of the decision; the outcome of the decision, e.g. my benefit stopped; my benefit reduced; etc).

When we receive a request for a Statement of Reasons we will write to you and explain how we made the decision.

If you still think the decision is wrong after we have explained it you can ask us to reconsider it and/or appeal against it to an independent tribunal.

If you think the decision we have made about your Housing Benefit is wrong you can ask us to reconsider it.

You must make your request in writing to the Revenues and Benefits Team and you must make it within one month of the date of the decision it relates to.

You can do this by e-mailing us at benefits@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or writing to us at the Revenues and Benefits Team, William Patrick Library, 2-4 West High Street, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1AD.

Your request must include the following information:

• Your name; address and Housing Benefit reference number (an email address and/or telephone would also be very helpful)
• What you think is wrong with the decision and why.

Please send us any documents or information you have that might make a difference to our decision.

When we receive a request for a reconsideration we will look at the decision again.

We may write to you for additional information and evidence to help us reconsider the decision.

We will decide whether the decision can be changed or not. We will send you a decision notice telling you the outcome of the reconsideration.

If you still think the decision is wrong after we have reconsidered it you can appeal against it to an independent tribunal.

If you think the decision we have made about your Housing Benefit is wrong (or still wrong after we have reconsidered it) you can appeal against it to an independent tribunal.

You must make your appeal in writing and send it to the Revenues and Benefits Team by e-mailing us at benefits@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or writing to us at the Revenues and Benefits Team, William Patrick Library, 2-4 West High Street, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 1AD.

You must make your appeal within one month of the date of the decision it relates to (or within one month of the date we have reconsidered it).

Your appeal must include the following information:

• Your name; address and Housing Benefit reference number (an email address and/or telephone would also be very helpful)
• What you think is wrong with the decision and why.

Please send us any documents or information you have that might make a difference to our decision.

We may write to you for additional information and evidence to help progress your appeal.

A hearing may then be set up by the Tribunal to decide whether the decision should be changed.

If you need more information about your appeal rights you should contact the Revenues and Benefits Team at benefits@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or telephone us on 0800 901057.