The cases we handle
Social security: appealable benefits
The following benefits are "relevant benefits" for the purposes of section 12 of the Social Security Act 1998 and are therefore subject to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal and, on a point of law, to the Upper Tribunal, with permission of the First-tier Tribunal judge or Upper Tribunal judge:
Current benefits
- Additional pension (see retirement pension)
- Attendance allowance
- Bereavement allowance
- Jobseeker's allowance
- Bereaved parent's allowance
- Carer's allowance
- Child benefit
- Disability living allowance
- Guardian's allowance
- Incapacity benefit
- Income support
- Industrial injuries disablement benefit (for industrial accidents and prescribed diseases)
- Reduced earnings allowance
- Retirement pension, this includes:
– Basic pension
– Additional pension
– Over 80s pension
– Guaranteed minimum pension - Severe disablement allowance (abolished for new claimants)
- Social fund funeral and maternity payments (but not other social fund payments)
- State maternity allowance
- State pension credit
See also Tax credits
Former benefits
- Disability working allowance (replaced by tax credits)
- Family credit (replaced by tax credits)
- Invalid care allowance (replaced by carer's allowance)
- Invalidity benefit (replaced by incapacity benefit)
- Minimum income guarantee (replaced by state pension credit)
- Mobility allowance (replaced by mobility component of disability living allowance)
- One parent benefit
- Sickness benefit (replaced by incapacity benefit)
- Supplementary benefit (replaced by income support)
- Unemployment benefit (replaced by jobseeker's allowance)
- Widow's benefits (replaced by bereavement benefits)
- Workman's compensation (replaced by Industrial injuries disablement benefit)
Part II of the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc) Act 1999 provides that appeals from the following go to the tax appeal tribunals and not social security tribunals:
- Contributions decisions
- Statutory adoption pay
- Statutory maternity pay
- Statutory paternity pay
- Statutory sick pay
Details of the tax tribunals that handle these appeals are available on the General Commissioners website 
Relevant legislation
Section 8(3) and 12(1) Social Security Act 1998
Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions) Act 1999
The Transfer of Tribunal Functions Order 2008
Note:
From 3 November 2008 the new Upper Tribunal has taken over the work of the Social Security, Child Support and Pensions Appeal Commissioners. The Commissioners formerly handled appeals from tribunals that are now covered by the Social Entitlement Chamber, and the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal.
The Upper Tribunal also deals with appeals from the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal.
Page last updated 03 November 2008
