Explanations and appeals
If you disagree with a Council Tax Reduction decision you can ask us to explain or reconsider it, or you can appeal to an independent tribunal.
Only a person affected by the decision has a right to appeal. An affected person is a person claiming Council Tax Reduction or someone authorised to act on their behalf.
If you’d like someone to act on your behalf or have an appointee, you’ll need to give us permission to share information with them.
There are some decisions you can’t appeal against:
- which partner in a couple may claim
- how Council Tax Reduction is paid
- how you repay any Council Tax Reduction you shouldn’t have been paid
- how much Pension Credit is used in the decision
Ask for an explanation
If you disagree with a decision or want to know more you can ask for an explanation of a Council Tax Reduction decision. We’ll write to you to explain how we came to the decision.
Ask us to reconsider a decision
If you think the Council Tax Reduction decision is wrong you can ask us to reconsider it. You'll need to explain what you think is wrong and include any extra information to support your request.
After looking at the decision again, we’ll write to you to tell you whether we think the decision is right or whether we’ve changed it.
If we can’t change the decision and you still disagree, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS).
You must ask us for a reconsideration before you can appeal to the VTS. You must submit your appeal to the VTS within 2 months of the date of our reply.
If you don’t get a reply from us within 2 months, you can submit an appeal to the VTS. You must submit your appeal to the VTS within 4 months of the date of the decision you’re appealing.
For more information:
Valuation Tribunal Service, Hepworth House, 2 Trafford Court, Doncaster DN1 1PN
Council Tax Reduction Scheme
Download our current Council Tax Reduction Scheme (PDF, 1.8mb)
Page last updated: 28 February 2020
