NI260 - A guide to Revision, Supersession and Appeal (April 2006)
Further information
- Rates of benefits
- Social security leaflets
- Technical guides
- The Acts, Regulations and Blue Volumes
- Social Security Commissioners’ decisions
- Abbreviations key for legislation
Rates of benefits
Rates of benefits are published each year in the Social Security Benefits Uprating Order, which is debated by Parliament, usually towards the end of the year. Benefits are usually uprated from April, at the beginning of the financial year. Details of the benefit rates of all social security benefits, are available in Social Security Benefit Rates BRA5DWP.
Social security leaflets
| You can get copies of the leaflets from | |
|---|---|
| Your local Social Security Office or Jobcentre Plus office. For your nearest office look for the display advert under ‘Social Security’ in the business numbers section of the phone book | for social security leaflets and most others |
| Post offices or Jobcentres | for the main leaflets |
| Your local council | for leaflets on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit |
You can get more information from the DWP website. The address is: www.dwp.gov.uk
To contact us by email see the Contact Us section of the website.
Community advisers who belong to an organisation that gives benefits information to the public can join the Publicity Register (PR), which gives advisers access to information from the Department for Work and Pensions and its Agencies. To join call 0845 602 4444 or fax 0870 241 2634 (9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday) or write to The Publicity Register, Freepost, NWW 1853, Manchester, M2 9LU.
Technical guides
Technical guides, such as this one, give detailed information on particular benefits or benefit areas. They are intended for professional and voluntary advisers and for members of the public who want to know more about benefit procedures.
| DB1 | A guide to Industrial Injuries Scheme benefits |
| HB5 | A guide to non-contributory benefits for disabled people |
| IB1 | A guide to Incapacity Benefit |
| IS20 | A guide to Income Support |
| NI17A | A guide to maternity benefits |
| NP45 | A guide to Bereavement Benefits |
| PC10S | A guide to Pension Credit |
| RR2 | A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit |
| SB16 | A guide to the Social Fund |
You can get copies of these from any Jobcentre Plus or social security office.
The Acts, Regulations and Blue Volumes
This technical guide is only a guide to revision, supersession and appeals. It has no status in law, but it refers you to the Acts and Regulations which cover particular rules. The Regulations may be changed or added to from time to time by Amendment Regulations. Also, each year a set of Uprating Regulations is published changing the benefit rates.
The main Acts and Regulations which govern disputes and appeals:
- Social Security Act 1998
- Social Security Administration Act 1992
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
- Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 1999 SI No. 991
- Social Security Commissioners (Procedure) Regulations 1999 SI1495
- Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 SI1968
Corporate Document Services (CDS) publishes The Law relating to Social Security as one of a series of loose-leaf books also known as the Blue Volumes, which contain all the Acts and Regulations. They are indexed and kept up to date by regular supplements. You can consult a copy at your social security office, and many libraries also have a copy. The Blue Volumes can be bought direct from Corporate Document Services. All the Acts and Regulations are also available on the DWP website at www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers
To order call 0113 399 4040 or fax 0113 399 4205.
Social Security Commissioners’ decisions
Commissioners’ decisions fall into two categories: reported and unreported decisions. Any ruling about the law contained in a Commissioner’s decision, whether reported or unreported, must be applied to your case by Decision Makers and tribunals if it appears to be relevant. In deciding between decisions a reported decision should be given more weight than an unreported decision.
Reported decisions
Reported decisions of the Commissioners deal with matters of important legal principles. They are given serial numbers, by the year, in the appropriate category of cases, for example R(U)4/84 indicated the fourth decision relating to Unemployment Benefit in 1984. Copies of all reported decisions are held by the Tribunals Service. Your local office should also have access. Libraries may also have copies. Copies of reported decisions are also available on the DWP website at www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers
Unreported decisions
Not all Commissioners’ decisions are reported. The unreported decisions are not deemed to have general significance in the social security field. They are identified only by the Commissioner’s file number, for example CIS/627/95.
The Tribunals Service do not keep copies of unreported decisions. If you intend to use one in arguing your case before the tribunal, you will need to get your own copy. These can be bought from the Office of the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners, see address. Reported and unreported decisions are also available from the Office of the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners’ website at www.osscsc.gov.uk.
Abbreviations key for legislation
| SS Act 1998 | Social Security Act 1998 |
| SSA Act 1992 | Social Security Act 1998 |
| SS Comm (Proc) Regs 1999 | Social Security Commissioners (Procedure) Regulations 1999 SI1495 |
| SS C & B Act 1992 | Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992 |
| SS Pensions Act 1975 | Social Security Pensions Act 1975 |
| SSCS (D&A) Regs 1999 | Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 1999 SI991 |
| SS (C&P) Regs 1987 | Social Security (Claims & Payments) Regulations 1987 SI19 |
| SS (II) (PD) Regs1985 | Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985 SI967 |
| Sched | Schedule |