Challenging Council Decisions

How to request a review, make an appeal, and understand judicial review if the council refuses to help you.

Relevant for:

Currently Homeless

At Risk

Important Warnings

You only have 21 days to request a review. Do not delay.
Do not assume the review will fail. Many wrong decisions are overturned at review stage.
Keep copies of all letters and emails you send to the council. You may need them later.

If the council decides you are not homeless, not in priority need, or intentionally homeless, you have the right to challenge the decision.
You can request a review within 21 days of the decision. The review will be done by a different officer in the same council.
If the review upholds the original decision, you can appeal to the county court, but this requires legal advice and possibly legal aid.
A judicial review is a legal challenge to the way a decision was made (e.g., the council did not follow the law). This is complex and requires a solicitor.

You have the right to a written decision explaining why the council decided you are not owed a housing duty.
You have the right to request a review and provide new evidence or arguments.
You have the right to emergency accommodation while the review is being decided if you were in temporary accommodation before.
You have the right to appeal to court if the review decision is wrong in law.