council tax benefit

louiseclare_2

hi, I recently found out I am entitled to some council tax benefit but my local council have only awarded it for the last few weeks. They say if I want a backdated claim I have to appeal. Can I ask advice on how to appeal; what sort of thing I should say that might get my benefit backdated to at least the start of the financial year. I am a single mum working hard to put 1 child through uni and a 2nd child at secondary school. I have really struggled to meet my council tax payments and have been entitled this benefit for the last few years and did not know. Advice greatly appreciated. Many thanks, Louise

Caz3121

Normally the backdating further than the standard is due to you being given incorrect information by a council employee or were in hospital, if you did not apply because you did not know that you may be entitled they are unlikely to backdate

CIS

There's nothing specific - you need to give them a written statement to say you wish to request the benefit be backdated and listing the reasons why.

As Caz3121 has already mentioned the ignorance of the ability to claim is very rarely a successful reason.

uganda

louiseclare wrote: »

hi, I recently found out I am entitled to some council tax benefit but my local council have only awarded it for the last few weeks. They say if I want a backdated claim I have to appeal. Can I ask advice on how to appeal; what sort of thing I should say that might get my benefit backdated to at least the start of the financial year. I am a single mum working hard to put 1 child through uni and a 2nd child at secondary school. I have really struggled to meet my council tax payments and have been entitled this benefit for the last few years and did not know. Advice greatly appreciated. Many thanks, Louise

You can request backdating for up to 6 months. You need to show good cause for not having claimed earlier. Ignorance of the council tax benefit scheme is never good cause, but a mistaken belief that you would not be entitled could be, it would have to be reasonable to suppose that you mistakenly believed this - it could be because you had bad advice from the benefits office, for example, but it doesn't have to be as official as that.

If you can say why you did not claim earlier, I'll tell you if I'd allow it. Not every decision-maker will agree, but backdating appeals have a good history of being successful.