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    If a benefit decision goes against you

    Written by Billy Kukadia · Last reviewed 23 October 2026

    Illustrative image: Billy Kukadia listening to an older woman with a plain folder at home

    In short

    Ask for a mandatory reconsideration, usually within 1 month of the decision date.

    If still unhappy, appeal within 1 month of receiving the mandatory reconsideration notice.

    Later requests need a reason. A late appeal may be refused, so do not assume extra time is available.

    What you need

    Start with the decision letter. Put it somewhere you can find it again, with any papers that came with it. Note its date and the parts of the decision you disagree with. You can make a rough list before trying to explain everything in full sentences.

    Keep your own account beside the letter. Write down what you want the reader to understand and which part of the decision each point relates to. If there are several concerns, separate them. That makes it easier to work through one point at a time without losing your place.

    If you have already received a mandatory reconsideration notice, keep that with the original decision. Note when you received it. These are two different stages with different starting points for their usual deadlines. Keep the two letters apart, because each has its own deadline.

    Step by step

    1. Identify which stage you are at

      Read the heading of the letter in front of you. Are you looking at the original decision, or the mandatory reconsideration notice? Start there. You do not have to write the whole story at once, but you do need to know which next step you are preparing for.

    2. Put the relevant date in your notes

      Use the starting point for your stage in the key dates box. Write the relevant date beside the letter, not only on a separate scrap of paper that might become detached.

    3. Prepare the reconsideration request

      Set out the points you disagree with in your own words. Keep the decision letter beside you as you write, so each point connects with what it says. Read the official mandatory reconsideration page for the next step rather than guessing from someone else's experience of a different decision.

    4. If still unhappy, prepare for the appeal stage

      An appeal is to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support). Work from the mandatory reconsideration notice and the official appeal page. Keep your explanation in a clear order. Read it back against the papers, checking that it says what you intended rather than what you think sounds formal.

    5. Do not ignore a missed date

      A later mandatory reconsideration request is possible with a good reason. A late appeal needs an explanation and may be refused. If you are outside the usual period, say why instead of assuming it will be accepted. Citizens Advice can be a place to ask for free help with the next step.

    Free help

    Citizens Advice offers free help. Have the decision letter and, if you have one, the mandatory reconsideration notice beside you. Tell them which stage you have reached and the relevant dates, so the conversation starts with the papers you actually have.

    • Citizens Advice

      0800 144 8848

      Free help with benefit questions and paperwork.

    How we can help, and what we can't

    We can help organise your letters and prepare paperwork using your account, then read it back with you for your approval. We are not a law firm, cannot tell you the legal strength of an appeal and cannot promise a changed decision. Our application and form completion support page sets out the practical help we offer without taking the decision away from you. Application and form completion support.