Appeal Rights

Will appeals against direct payment decisions be allowed?

Yes. Both you and your tenant, as persons affected by the decision, may appeal against any decision about whether or not to pay rent direct. Appeals can also be made against decisions on vulnerability.

If I won an appeal obliging the local authority to make direct payments to me, would the LA pay me all the arrears that are due, even though they had already paid benefit to the tenant?

No. Even if you win an appeal, the local authority will not make duplicate payment of benefit. Direct payments would be made from an acceptable date in order to ensure that no overpayment occurs.

Can a tenant or landlord appeal against a decision that the landlord should not receive Housing Benefit on the customer's behalf as an agent?

No, you can’t appeal against this decision.

Will there be any right of appeal about the application of an LHA in an individual case?

There is no right of appeal or redetermination about the level of LHA or the BRMA on which those levels are based unless, for example, the rent officer has made an arithmetical error.