Your

family

lives

abroad

If

your

partner

is

outside

the

UK

and

you

do

not

have

children

check

the

Working

Tax

Credit

guidance

for

information

on

whether

you

can

continue

to

claim

You

have

a

child

who

lives

abroad

If

you

already

get

Working

Tax

Credit

and

want

to

add

Child

Tax

Credit

to

your

claim

check

if

you

’re

eligible

If

you

already

get

Child

Tax

Credit

you

may

be

able

to

make

a

claim

for

an

additional

child

if

you

are

working

in

the

UK

the

child

is

living

in

the

EEA

or

Switzerland

you

are

supporting

the

child

You

must

also

be

one

of

the

following

an

EEA

or

Swiss

citizen

who

has

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

an

EEA

or

Swiss

citizen

who

had

a

right

to

reside

in

the

UK

on

December

a

family

member

of

an

EEA

or

Swiss

citizen

who

has

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

or

had

a

right

to

reside

in

the

UK

on

December

and

you

are

residing

in

the

UK

a

person

with

dual

nationality

one

of

which

is

nationality

of

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

covered

by

any

of

the

other

conditions

in

the

Withdrawal

Agreement

with

the

EEA

and

Switzerland

You

usually

can

not

claim

for

a

child

who

lives

outside

the

EEA

or

Switzerland

There

’s

an

exception

if

your

partner

is

a

Crown

servant

posted

abroad

You

must

let

HMRC

know

within

a

month

if

your

partner

or

child

join

you

in

the

UK

This

is

because

your

tax

credits

payments

may

change

Your

partner

gets

benefits

in

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

If

you

’ve

got

children

and

your

partner

gets

benefits

paid

by

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

this

may

affect

your

tax

credits

You

must

tell

HMRC

if

you

or

your

partner

are

paid

benefits

by

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

Some

benefits

are

counted

as

income

for

example

benefits

paid

because

of

unemployment

Going

abroad

Your

tax

credits

will

stop

if

you

expect

to

be

away

for

one

year

or

more

You

may

still

qualify

for

tax

credits

if

you

go

abroad

for

a

short

period

for

example

on

holiday

or

for

medical

treatment

Reason

for

leaving

How

long

you

can

get

tax

credits

for

Medical

treatment

for

yourself

your

partner

or

your

child

Up

to

weeks

Death

of

your

partner

a

child

or

close

relative

of

either

you

or

your

partner

Up

to

weeks

Any

other

reason

for

example

holidays

or

business

Up

to

weeks

If

your

trip

is

going

to

last

longer

than

or

weeks

contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

within

a

month

Your

tax

credits

will

end

unless

you

get

UK

benefits

or

State

Pension

and

you

live

in

another

European

country

with

a

child

you

work

and

pay

National

Insurance

contributions

in

the

UK

but

your

family

lives

in

another

European

country

You

live

outside

the

UK

You

may

continue

to

get

tax

credits

if

you

’re

a

Crown

servant

posted

overseas

or

you

live

abroad

with

your

child

and

get

UK

benefits

or

the

State

Pension

You

’re

a

Crown

servant

posted

overseas

You

may

continue

to

get

tax

credits

just

as

if

you

were

living

in

the

UK

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

will

treat

you

as

being

in

the

UK

if

any

of

the

following

applies

you

are

or

were

just

before

you

were

posted

abroad

ordinarily

resident

in

the

UK

you

’ve

had

a

series

of

postings

abroad

with

no

breaks

in

between

and

you

are

or

were

ordinarily

resident

in

the

UK

immediately

before

the

first

of

those

postings

you

were

in

the

UK

just

before

you

were

posted

abroad

and

the

reason

you

were

in

the

UK

was

connected

to

your

posting

this

can

apply

to

a

single

posting

or

to

a

series

of

postings

Ordinarily

resident

Ordinarily

resident

means

you

normally

live

in

the

UK

and

plan

to

stay

here

for

the

time

being

When

HMRC

decides

if

you

’re

ordinarily

resident

in

the

UK

they

’ll

look

at

things

like

where

your

settled

home

is

where

your

close

family

live

why

you

came

to

the

UK

if

you

plan

to

leave

the

UK

permanently

in

the

next

or

years

Your

partner

’s

a

Crown

servant

posted

overseas

You

may

continue

to

get

tax

credits

if

your

partner

’s

a

Crown

servant

posted

outside

the

UK

and

you

live

with

your

partner

while

they

work

abroad

live

in

the

UK

while

your

partner

works

abroad

You

do

not

need

to

be

ordinarily

resident

in

the

UK

during

the

time

you

’re

with

your

Crown

servant

partner

overseas

You

have

a

child

and

get

UK

benefits

or

State

Pension

If

of

the

sections

above

apply

to

you

you

may

continue

to

get

Child

Tax

Credit

or

add

it

to

an

existing

Working

Tax

Credit

claim

if

you

and

your

child

live

in

a

European

Union

EU

member

state

and

you

get

State

Pension

or

one

of

the

following

benefits

Incapacity

Benefit

State

Pension

Widow

’s

Benefit

Bereavement

Benefit

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

contribution

based

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Severe

Disablement

Allowance

You

will

not

be

able

to

get

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

do

not

live

in

an

EU

member

state

unless

you

or

your

partner

are

a

Crown

servant

posted

abroad

Moving

to

the

UK

You

must

have

been

living

in

the

UK

for

months

before

you

were

eligible

to

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

moved

to

the

UK

on

or

after

July

and

do

not

have

a

job

This

does

not

apply

if

you

are

a

family

member

of

someone

who

works

or

is

self

employed

are

a

refugee

have

been

granted

discretionary

leave

to

enter

or

stay

in

the

UK

and

you

can

get

benefits

have

been

given

leave

to

stay

as

a

displaced

person

and

you

can

get

benefits

have

been

given

to

leave

to

stay

and

have

applied

for

settlement

as

a

victim

of

domestic

violence

have

been

granted

humanitarian

protection

were

made

redundant

in

the

UK

or

your

family

member

was

and

you

’re

looking

for

a

job

or

in

training

were

working

in

the

UK

before

but

temporarily

can

not

work

because

of

your

health

or

an

accident

have

been

abroad

for

less

than

a

year

but

usually

live

in

the

UK

and

were

claiming

Child

Tax

Credits

before

moving

have

been

abroad

for

less

than

a

year

but

usually

live

in

the

UK

and

were

in

the

UK

for

at

least

months

before

moving

paid

Class

or

Class

National

Insurance

contributions

while

you

were

working

abroad

and

paid

these

in

the

month

period

before

returning

to

the

UK

Cross

border

workers

You

may

continue

to

get

tax

credits

if

you

regularly

travel

from

another

country

to

work

in

the

UK

the

UK

to

work

in

another

country

Working

Tax

Credit

You

may

continue

to

get

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

live

in

an

EEA

country

including

Switzerland

and

work

in

the

UK

the

UK

and

work

in

an

EEA

country

including

Switzerland

Child

Tax

Credit

You

and

your

partner

if

you

have

one

may

continue

to

get

Child

Tax

Credit

for

your

children

if

you

work

in

the

UK

you

pay

National

Insurance

as

a

worker

here

your

child

lives

in

an

EEA

country

or

in

Switzerland

your

child

is

living

with

your

partner

or

someone

else

and

they

depend

on

you

to

support

them

You

usually

can

not

claim

for

a

child

who

lives

outside

the

EEA

or

Switzerland

There

’s

an

exception

if

your

partner

is

a

Crown

servant

posted

abroad

Childcare

costs

You

can

usually

claim

help

for

your

childcare

costs

through

the

childcare

element

of

Working

Tax

Credit

To

qualify

your

children

must

either

be

in

registered

or

approved

childcare

in

the

UK

be

in

childcare

approved

by

a

Ministry

of

Defence

accreditation

scheme

abroad

if

you

’re

a

Crown

servant

posted

abroad

Immigration

control

You

usually

can

not

get

tax

credits

if

you

’re

subject

to

immigration

control

although

there

are

some

exceptions

You

’ll

still

need

to

meet

the

other

qualifying

rules

for

example

work

the

right

number

of

hours

When

you

arrived

in

the

UK

your

passport

may

have

been

stamped

The

stamp

shows

the

conditions

of

your

stay

in

the

UK

for

example

no

recourse

to

public

funds

Public

funds

include

tax

credits

and

most

benefits

Exceptions

You

may

continue

to

get

tax

credits

if

your

partner

lives

in

the

UK

and

is

not

subject

to

immigration

control

one

of

the

examples

below

applies

to

you

or

your

partner

You

have

permission

to

stay

in

the

UK

because

someone

else

supports

you

You

may

continue

to

get

tax

credits

if

someone

else

is

responsible

for

your

maintenance

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

This

means

they

pay

for

your

upkeep

and

provide

you

with

somewhere

to

live

This

person

is

often

called

your

sponsor

and

could

be

a

friend

employer

or

relative

All

of

the

following

must

apply

your

sponsor

has

given

the

Home

Office

a

written

statement

saying

that

they

’re

sponsoring

you

your

sponsor

has

permission

to

stay

in

the

UK

you

’ve

been

living

permanently

in

the

UK

for

at

least

years

either

since

you

came

into

the

UK

or

since

you

started

being

sponsored

whichever

date

is

later

You

may

also

continue

to

get

tax

credits

if

you

’ve

been

living

in

the

UK

for

fewer

than

years

but

your

sponsor

has

died

all

your

sponsors

if

you

had

more

than

one

have

died

You

’re

from

Albania

Morocco

San

Marino

or

Tunisia

You

can

not

get

Working

Tax

Credit

You

may

continue

to

get

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

’re

either

working

in

the

UK

or

you

’re

not

working

because

you

’re

retired

pregnant

or

looking

after

children

sick

or

disabled

or

your

partner

has

died

You

’re

from

Turkey

To

continue

to

get

Working

Tax

Credit

you

need

to

be

lawfully

present

in

the

UK

and

a

Turkish

national

You

may

continue

to

get

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

’re

either

working

in

the

UK

or

you

’re

not

working

because

you

’re

retired

pregnant

or

looking

after

children

sick

or

disabled

or

your

partner

has

died

You

’re

from

North

Macedonia

You

may

continue

to

get

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

’re

a

national

of

North

Macedonia

You

’ll

need

to

be

lawfully

present

in

the

UK

You

can

not

normally

get

Child

Tax

Credit

However

you

may

continue

to

if

you

’ve

been

getting

payments

for

your

children

through

Income

Support

or

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

You

claimed

asylum

before

February

You

may

continue

to

get

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

received

financial

support

for

your

children

through

Income

Support

or

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance


Overview

Special

educational

needs

and

disabilities

SEND

can

affect

a

child

or

young

person

’s

ability

to

learn

They

can

affect

their

behaviour

or

ability

to

socialise

for

example

they

struggle

to

make

friends

reading

and

writing

for

example

because

they

have

dyslexia

ability

to

understand

things

concentration

levels

for

example

because

they

have

ADHD

physical

ability

Who

to

talk

to

If

you

think

your

child

may

have

special

educational

needs

contact

the

SEN

co

ordinator

or

SENCO

in

your

child

’s

school

or

nursery

Contact

your

local

council

if

your

child

is

not

in

a

school

or

nursery

Your

local

Information

Advice

and

Support

IAS

Service

can

give

you

advice

about

SEND

Support

your

child

can

receive

Your

child

may

be

eligible

for

SEN

support

support

given

in

school

like

speech

therapy

an

education

health

and

care

EHC

plan

a

plan

of

care

for

children

and

young

people

aged

up

to

who

have

more

complex

needs

If

you

or

your

child

got

support

before

September

this

will

continue

until

your

local

council

changes

it

to

an

EHC

plan

Special

educational

needs

support

Your

child

will

get

SEN

support

at

their

school

or

college

Your

child

may

need

an

education

health

and

care

EHC

plan

if

they

need

more

support

than

their

school

provides

Children

under

SEN

support

for

children

under

includes

a

written

progress

check

when

your

child

is

years

old

a

child

health

visitor

carrying

out

a

health

check

for

your

child

if

they

’re

aged

to

a

written

assessment

in

the

summer

term

of

your

child

’s

first

year

of

primary

school

making

reasonable

adjustments

for

disabled

children

like

providing

aids

like

tactile

signs

Nurseries

playgroups

and

childminders

registered

with

Ofsted

follow

the

Early

Years

Foundation

Stage

EYFS

framework

The

framework

makes

sure

that

there

’s

support

in

place

for

children

with

SEND

Talk

to

a

doctor

or

health

adviser

if

you

think

your

child

has

SEND

but

they

do

not

go

to

a

nursery

playgroup

or

childminder

They

’ll

tell

you

what

support

options

are

available

Children

between

and

Talk

to

the

teacher

or

the

SEN

co

ordinator

SENCO

if

you

think

your

child

needs

a

special

learning

programme

extra

help

from

a

teacher

or

assistant

to

work

in

a

smaller

group

observation

in

class

or

at

break

help

taking

part

in

class

activities

extra

encouragement

in

their

learning

for

example

to

ask

questions

or

to

try

something

they

find

difficult

help

communicating

with

other

children

support

with

physical

or

personal

care

difficulties

for

example

eating

getting

around

school

safely

or

using

the

toilet

Young

people

aged

or

over

in

further

education

Contact

the

college

before

your

child

starts

further

education

to

make

sure

that

they

can

meet

your

child

’s

needs

The

college

and

your

local

authority

will

talk

to

your

child

about

the

support

they

need

Extra

help

An

education

health

and

care

EHC

plan

is

for

children

and

young

people

aged

up

to

who

need

more

support

than

is

available

through

special

educational

needs

support

EHC

plans

identify

educational

health

and

social

needs

and

set

out

the

additional

support

to

meet

those

needs

Requesting

an

EHC

assessment

You

can

ask

your

local

authority

to

carry

out

an

assessment

if

you

think

your

child

needs

an

EHC

plan

A

young

person

can

request

an

assessment

themselves

if

they

’re

aged

to

A

request

can

also

be

made

by

anyone

else

who

thinks

an

assessment

may

be

necessary

including

doctors

health

visitors

teachers

parents

and

family

friends

If

they

decide

to

carry

out

an

assessment

you

may

be

asked

for

any

reports

from

your

child

’s

school

nursery

or

childminder

doctors

assessments

of

your

child

a

letter

from

you

about

your

child

’s

needs

The

local

authority

will

tell

you

within

weeks

whether

an

EHC

plan

is

going

to

be

made

for

your

child

Creating

an

EHC

plan

Your

local

authority

will

create

a

draft

EHC

plan

and

send

you

a

copy

You

have

days

to

comment

including

if

you

want

to

ask

that

your

child

goes

to

a

specialist

needs

school

or

specialist

college

Your

local

authority

has

weeks

from

the

date

they

receive

the

request

for

the

assessment

to

give

you

the

final

EHC

plan

Disagreeing

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

your

local

authority

about

their

decision

to

not

carry

out

an

assessment

their

decision

to

not

create

an

EHC

plan

the

special

educational

support

in

the

EHC

plan

the

school

named

in

the

EHC

plan

If

you

can

not

resolve

the

problem

with

your

local

authority

you

can

appeal

to

the

Special

Educational

Needs

and

Disability

SEND

Tribunal

Personal

budgets

You

may

be

able

to

get

a

personal

budget

for

your

child

if

they

have

an

EHC

plan

or

have

been

told

that

they

need

one

It

allows

you

to

have

a

say

in

how

to

spend

the

money

on

support

for

your

child

There

are

ways

you

can

use

your

personal

budget

You

can

have

direct

payments

made

into

your

account

you

buy

and

manage

services

yourself

an

arrangement

with

your

local

authority

or

school

where

they

hold

the

money

for

you

but

you

still

decide

how

to

spend

it

sometimes

called

notional

arrangements

third

party

arrangements

you

choose

someone

else

to

manage

the

money

for

you

You

can

have

a

combination

of

all

options

Independent

support

for

children

of

all

ages

Independent

supporters

can

help

you

and

your

child

through

the

new

SEN

assessment

process

including

replacing

a

statement

of

special

educational

needs

with

a

new

EHC

plan

moving

a

child

from

a

learning

difficulty

assessment

LDA

to

an

EHC

plan

You

can

find

out

how

to

get

local

support

through

Council

for

Disabled

Children

Information

Advice

and

Support

Service

Network

your

local

authority

website

and

search

for

Local

Offer

If

your

child

got

support

before

September

Your

child

will

move

to

an

education

health

and

care

EHC

plan

This

will

normally

happen

at

a

planned

review

or

when

your

child

moves

school

Your

council

will

tell

you

which

Your

child

will

already

be

getting

SEN

support

if

they

used

to

get

help

through

School

Action

or

School

Action

Plus

Early

Years

Action

or

Early

Years

Action

Plus

Support

after

your

child

leaves

school

If

your

child

has

a

statement

of

special

educational

needs

they

’ll

have

a

transition

plan

drawn

up

in

Year

This

helps

to

plan

for

their

future

after

they

leave

school

They

’ll

continue

to

get

support

during

further

education

Your

child

can

also

ask

for

an

EHC

assessment

if

they

need

more

help

than

the

school

or

college

can

provide

Help

and

advice

You

can

call

the

Contact

a

Family

helpline

for

help

and

advice

You

can

also

get

help

from

Independent

Parental

Special

Education

Advice

IPSEA


Discipline

School

behaviour

policy

Every

school

has

a

behaviour

policy

which

lists

the

rules

of

conduct

for

pupils

before

and

after

school

as

well

as

during

the

school

day

The

policy

should

also

say

what

the

school

does

to

prevent

bullying

You

can

ask

the

school

for

a

copy

of

the

policy

document

Punishments

Schools

can

punish

pupils

if

they

behave

badly

Examples

of

punishments

sometimes

called

sanctions

include

a

telling

off

a

letter

home

removal

from

a

class

or

group

confiscating

something

inappropriate

for

school

eg

mobile

phone

or

player

detention

Detention

Schools

do

n’t

have

to

give

parents

notice

of

after

school

detentions

or

tell

them

why

a

detention

has

been

given

Physical

contact

School

staff

can

use

reasonable

force

to

control

and

restrain

pupils

This

could

include

leading

a

pupil

by

the

arm

into

a

classroom

Complaining

about

a

punishment

If

you

disagree

with

the

way

your

child

’s

been

punished

first

talk

to

the

headteacher

If

you

’re

not

satisfied

ask

for

a

copy

of

the

complaints

procedure

Exclusions

Headteachers

can

exclude

your

child

if

they

misbehave

in

or

outside

school

What

happens

when

your

child

is

excluded

Your

child

’s

school

will

let

you

know

about

an

exclusion

as

soon

as

possible

They

’ll

follow

up

with

a

letter

telling

you

how

long

your

child

is

excluded

for

and

why

You

should

also

be

told

how

to

challenge

the

exclusion

if

you

want

to

Exclusions

can

start

on

the

same

day

but

the

school

should

n’t

make

you

collect

your

child

straight

away

Risk

of

prosecution

if

child

is

found

in

public

place

For

the

first

school

days

of

an

exclusion

it

’s

your

responsibility

to

make

sure

your

child

is

n’t

in

a

public

place

during

normal

school

hours

unless

there

is

a

good

reason

You

might

be

prosecuted

if

your

child

is

found

in

a

public

place

when

they

’re

not

supposed

to

be

Child

Law

Advice

has

more

information

on

what

happens

when

a

child

is

excluded

Types

of

exclusion

There

are

kinds

of

exclusion

fixed

period

suspended

and

permanent

expelled

Fixed

period

exclusion

A

fixed

period

exclusion

is

where

your

child

is

temporarily

removed

from

school

They

can

only

be

removed

for

up

to

school

days

in

one

school

year

even

if

they

’ve

changed

school

If

a

child

has

been

excluded

for

a

fixed

period

schools

should

set

and

mark

work

for

the

first

school

days

If

the

exclusion

is

longer

than

school

days

the

school

must

arrange

suitable

full

time

education

from

the

sixth

school

day

eg

at

a

pupil

referral

unit

Permanent

exclusion

Permanent

exclusion

means

your

child

is

expelled

Your

local

council

must

arrange

full

time

education

from

the

sixth

school

day

Alternative

education

and

exclusion

The

school

or

local

council

must

tell

you

about

any

alternative

education

they

arrange

It

’s

your

responsibility

to

make

sure

your

child

attends

Making

a

complaint

If

alternative

education

is

n’t

arranged

within

days

or

you

’re

not

happy

with

the

education

you

can

complain

to

the

school

for

fixed

period

exclusions

the

local

council

for

permanent

exclusions

If

you

’re

not

happy

with

the

response

you

can

complain

to

the

Department

for

Education

DfE

You

’ll

need

to

show

that

you

followed

the

school

or

council

’s

complaints

procedure

Challenging

exclusion

You

’ll

get

a

letter

from

the

school

telling

you

what

to

do

if

you

disagree

with

the

exclusion

You

can

ask

the

school

’s

governing

body

to

overturn

the

exclusion

if

either

your

child

has

been

excluded

for

more

than

days

the

exclusion

means

they

’ll

miss

a

public

exam

or

national

curriculum

test

If

the

exclusion

is

for

days

or

fewer

you

can

still

ask

the

governors

to

hear

your

views

but

they

ca

n’t

overturn

the

headteacher

’s

decision

Challenging

permanent

exclusion

You

’ll

be

invited

to

a

review

meeting

with

the

school

’s

governors

if

your

child

has

been

permanently

excluded

This

will

happen

within

school

days

If

the

governors

do

n’t

overturn

the

exclusion

you

can

ask

for

an

independent

review

by

your

local

council

or

academy

trust

if

the

school

’s

an

academy

The

governors

must

tell

you

how

to

do

this

If

your

child

is

still

excluded

you

can

ask

the

Local

Government

Ombudsman

or

the

Education

Funding

Agency

if

the

school

’s

an

academy

or

free

school

to

look

at

whether

your

case

was

handled

properly

They

ca

n’t

overturn

the

exclusion

Discrimination

and

other

complaints

You

can

make

a

claim

to

a

court

or

a

tribunal

if

you

think

your

child

’s

been

discriminated

against

You

need

to

do

this

within

months

of

the

exclusion

Contact

the

Equality

Advisory

Support

Service

for

help

and

advice

For

more

general

complaints

eg

if

you

do

n’t

want

to

challenge

the

exclusion

but

you

’re

not

happy

with

the

way

the

school

handled

it

follow

the

normal

school

complaints

process

Searches

Searches

without

your

child

’s

consent

The

school

does

n’t

need

your

child

’s

consent

to

search

them

if

they

think

your

child

has

prohibited

items

including

weapons

eg

knives

alcohol

illegal

drugs

stolen

goods

tobacco

products

eg

cigarettes

pornographic

images

of

any

kind

eg

tabloid

topless

pictures

and

lads

mags

as

well

as

extreme

adult

material

fireworks

anything

that

has

been

or

is

likely

to

be

used

to

cause

injury

or

commit

an

offence

anything

banned

in

the

school

rules

These

things

can

be

confiscated

Legal

requirements

of

a

search

There

should

normally

be

members

of

staff

present

during

the

search

the

person

doing

the

search

and

the

search

witness

Searches

should

normally

be

done

by

someone

the

same

sex

as

your

child

The

search

witness

must

also

be

the

same

sex

as

your

child

if

possible

Your

child

must

not

be

asked

to

remove

clothes

other

than

outer

clothing

like

a

coat

If

there

’s

a

risk

of

serious

harm

to

a

person

if

the

search

is

not

conducted

immediately

a

child

may

be

searched

by

a

person

of

the

opposite

sex

and

without

another

member

of

staff

present

Metal

detectors

Schools

can

make

pupils

go

through

a

metal

detector

they

do

n’t

have

to

suspect

that

your

child

has

a

weapon

If

your

child

refuses

to

go

through

the

metal

detector

they

can

be

stopped

from

coming

into

school

Complaining

about

a

search

If

you

’re

unhappy

with

a

search

on

your

child

at

school

talk

to

the

headteacher

If

you

’re

not

satisfied

ask

for

a

copy

of

the

complaints

procedure


What

magistrates

do

Magistrates

are

volunteers

who

hear

cases

in

courts

in

their

community

They

can

hear

cases

in

the

criminal

court

the

family

court

or

both

Each

case

is

usually

heard

by

magistrates

including

a

magistrate

who

is

trained

to

act

as

a

chairperson

A

legal

adviser

in

the

court

gives

advice

on

the

law

and

makes

sure

the

magistrates

follow

the

right

procedures

Criminal

cases

All

criminal

cases

begin

in

a

magistrates

court

Magistrates

pass

the

most

serious

crimes

for

example

murder

rape

and

robbery

to

the

Crown

Court

Magistrates

decide

if

the

defendant

should

be

kept

in

custody

for

example

in

a

police

or

court

cell

let

out

on

strict

conditions

for

example

to

keep

away

from

named

places

or

people

Magistrates

deal

with

crimes

like

minor

assaults

motoring

offences

theft

handling

stolen

goods

TV

licence

evasion

Magistrates

can

give

punishments

such

as

fines

unpaid

work

in

the

community

prison

for

up

to

months

or

up

to

months

for

more

than

crime

Family

cases

Magistrates

can

also

hear

cases

at

a

family

court

These

magistrates

deal

with

cases

about

children

They

can

arrange

for

a

child

to

be

taken

into

care

or

put

up

for

adoption

help

separated

parents

make

arrangements

for

their

children

enforce

child

maintenance

orders

make

court

orders

to

prevent

domestic

abuse

These

magistrates

can

get

advice

from

the

child

’s

guardian

or

a

family

court

adviser

during

the

case

Who

can

be

a

magistrate

You

need

to

give

up

some

of

your

spare

time

and

not

everyone

can

serve

as

a

magistrate

Qualifications

You

do

not

need

formal

qualifications

or

legal

training

to

become

a

magistrate

You

will

get

full

training

for

the

role

and

a

legal

adviser

in

court

will

help

you

with

questions

about

the

law

Age

You

have

to

be

over

and

under

Magistrates

must

retire

at

and

are

normally

expected

to

serve

for

at

least

years

Health

You

need

to

be

able

to

hear

clearly

with

or

without

a

hearing

aid

to

listen

to

a

case

You

also

need

to

be

able

to

sit

and

concentrate

for

long

periods

of

time

Personal

qualities

You

need

to

show

you

’ve

got

the

right

personal

qualities

for

example

that

you

are

aware

of

social

issues

mature

understand

people

and

have

a

sense

of

fairness

reliable

and

committed

to

serving

the

community

You

also

need

to

be

able

to

understand

documents

follow

evidence

and

communicate

effectively

think

logically

weigh

up

arguments

and

reach

a

fair

decision

Good

character

It

’s

unlikely

you

’ll

be

taken

on

if

you

have

been

found

guilty

of

a

serious

crime

found

guilty

of

a

number

of

minor

offences

banned

from

driving

in

the

past

to

years

declared

bankrupt

Conflicts

of

interest

You

can

not

be

a

magistrate

if

you

work

in

one

of

a

small

number

of

jobs

where

there

could

be

a

conflict

of

interest

for

instance

if

you

are

a

police

officer

Time

off

for

magistrate

duties

You

will

need

to

be

in

court

for

at

least

days

a

year

which

are

usually

full

days

Discuss

with

your

employer

how

you

will

balance

your

work

and

magistrate

duties

Your

employer

must

by

law

allow

you

reasonable

time

off

work

to

serve

as

a

magistrate

You

will

get

your

rota

well

in

advance

so

you

can

give

your

employer

plenty

of

notice

of

when

you

’ll

be

in

court

Pay

and

allowances

Magistrates

are

not

paid

but

many

employers

allow

their

employees

time

off

with

pay

If

you

lose

out

on

pay

you

can

claim

an

allowance

at

a

set

rate

as

well

as

allowances

for

travel

and

subsistence

Find

out

more

about

magistrates

allowances

Training

to

be

a

magistrate

You

will

need

training

to

be

a

magistrate

The

training

when

you

start

will

add

up

to

about

hours

or

and

a

half

days

as

well

as

some

meetings

The

training

could

take

place

over

a

long

weekend

weekdays

short

evening

sessions

over

several

weeks

Apply

to

be

a

magistrate

Visit

your

local

court

You

should

visit

your

local

court

at

least

once

and

a

few

times

if

you

can

to

check

the

role

is

right

for

you

As

family

cases

are

heard

in

private

you

will

not

be

able

to

visit

a

family

court

before

you

apply

Use

the

court

finder

to

find

your

nearest

court

The

court

can

let

you

know

when

it

’s

best

to

visit

and

which

courtrooms

to

go

and

see

If

you

are

invited

to

an

interview

you

will

be

asked

to

talk

about

your

visits

Find

out

where

to

apply

You

need

to

apply

to

the

advisory

committee

for

your

local

court

Check

the

list

of

advisory

committees

to

find

out

if

there

are

any

vacancies

in

your

area

and

where

you

need

to

apply

Application

form

You

can

download

the

application

form

and

guidance

notes

and

email

or

post

it

to

the

advisory

committee

for

your

area

Recruitment

queries

Contact

your

local

advisory

committee

if

you

have

a

question

about

applying

to

become

a

magistrate

You

can

also

contact

the

Magistrates

HR

Team


Overview

As

a

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

you

must

tell

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

about

any

tax

you

need

to

pay

changes

within

your

organisation

The

rules

for

CASCs

changed

on

April

Check

whether

you

need

to

make

changes

to

meet

the

new

rules

When

you

need

to

pay

tax

You

do

n’t

pay

tax

on

some

income

as

long

as

you

are

registered

as

a

CASC

with

HMRC

use

it

to

promote

participation

in

and

provide

facilities

for

eligible

sports

You

may

need

to

pay

tax

if

your

club

uses

money

for

other

non

qualifying

purposes

your

trading

or

property

rental

income

is

more

than

the

threshold

for

relief

Register

for

VAT

Your

CASC

must

register

for

VAT

if

your

taxable

turnover

is

more

than

You

can

choose

to

register

if

it

’s

below

this

for

example

to

reclaim

VAT

on

business

supplies

Taxable

turnover

includes

everything

you

sell

that

’s

not

exempt

from

VAT

Income

from

sporting

activities

and

fundraising

events

is

exempt

Changes

to

your

CASC

You

must

report

changes

to

your

club

’s

contact

details

bank

details

management

You

can

close

a

CASC

but

ca

n’t

remove

it

from

the

register

this

is

called

deregistration

If

you

change

the

way

you

run

your

CASC

you

must

still

meet

the

rules

on

eligibility

If

you

do

n’t

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

can

cancel

your

registration

Get

help

and

advice

You

can

get

help

and

advice

on

CASCs

and

charities

from

HMRC

’s

charities

helpline

Advice

and

support

is

also

available

from

cascinfo.co.uk

Paying

tax

Community

amateur

sports

clubs

CASCs

need

to

pay

Corporation

Tax

on

any

income

or

capital

gains

that

do

n’t

qualify

for

tax

relief

If

your

CASC

needs

to

pay

tax

you

must

file

a

Company

Tax

Return

include

form

if

you

’re

claiming

relief

on

any

income

or

gains

If

you

have

no

tax

to

pay

you

only

need

to

complete

a

tax

return

if

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

asks

you

to

Limited

companies

must

also

send

annual

accounts

to

Companies

House

You

may

have

to

pay

a

fine

if

you

do

n’t

complete

a

tax

return

when

you

need

to

or

you

file

your

tax

return

late

Reporting

changes

Use

form

to

report

changes

to

your

community

amateur

sports

club

CASC

Allow

at

least

days

for

HMRC

to

register

your

changes

Changes

you

have

to

report

You

must

tell

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

about

changes

to

your

organisation

’s

contact

details

authorised

officials

or

responsible

persons

nominees

details

including

their

bank

or

building

society

account

changes

bank

or

building

society

account

details

You

can

also

use

the

form

to

tell

HMRC

about

any

other

changes

for

example

changes

to

your

constitution

You

must

report

any

changes

that

would

affect

your

club

’s

eligibility

to

be

a

CASC

Closing

or

deregistering

a

CASC

Only

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

can

deregister

your

CASC

If

your

club

’s

members

vote

and

agree

to

close

your

CASC

you

must

let

HMRC

know

follow

the

rules

in

your

governing

document

HMRC

will

tell

you

if

you

have

to

complete

a

Company

Tax

Return

Disposing

of

assets

There

are

rules

about

what

you

do

with

your

assets

for

example

land

or

money

when

you

close

a

CASC

Any

remaining

assets

must

only

be

used

for

related

community

sport

as

decided

by

your

sport

’s

governing

body

another

registered

CASC

a

charity

Your

CASC

would

otherwise

have

to

pay

Corporation

Tax

If

your

club

is

removed

from

the

register

HMRC

can

cancel

your

CASC

registration

by

writing

to

the

club

secretary

if

it

decides

your

club

is

no

longer

eligible

This

can

be

backdated

If

HMRC

deregisters

your

CASC

you

will

no

longer

get

tax

exemptions

as

of

the

deregistration

date

may

have

to

pay

Corporation

Tax

on

any

assets

taken

out

of

the

club


What

the

Coastguard

Rescue

Service

does

The

Coastguard

Rescue

Service

is

made

up

of

volunteers

and

is

part

of

HM

Coastguard

As

a

coastguard

rescue

officer

you

may

have

to

help

rescue

people

trapped

on

the

coast

for

example

on

cliffs

stuck

in

mud

or

in

the

water

search

for

missing

people

report

and

deal

with

pollution

and

other

hazards

help

emergency

services

and

local

authorities

during

emergencies

for

example

flooding

gather

information

for

the

coastguard

operations

centre

go

to

schools

clubs

and

other

public

places

to

tell

people

about

staying

safe

at

sea

and

along

the

coast

carry

out

duties

for

the

Receiver

of

Wreck

for

example

dealing

with

wreckage

or

dead

whales

and

dolphins

on

the

shoreline

What

to

expect

as

a

volunteer

As

a

coastguard

rescue

officer

you

could

be

called

out

at

any

time

of

the

day

or

night

may

have

to

work

in

hazardous

situations

for

long

hours

may

have

to

carry

out

physically

demanding

tasks

for

example

carrying

heavy

equipment

to

rescue

sites

As

a

volunteer

you

will

not

be

paid

You

can

claim

a

small

amount

for

your

time

and

expenses

Volunteering

and

working

You

can

have

a

full

time

job

and

still

be

a

coastguard

rescue

officer

You

must

ask

your

employer

if

you

can

respond

to

emergencies

during

work

hours

before

you

become

a

volunteer

You

can

still

go

on

holiday

just

let

your

coastguard

manager

know

when

you

’re

going

to

be

away

Training

and

equipment

You

must

pass

initial

training

by

HM

Coastguard

followed

by

regular

training

to

keep

your

skills

up

to

date

This

will

include

training

in

first

aid

water

rescue

map

work

search

techniques

communications

skills

you

need

for

your

local

area

for

example

rope

rescue

mud

rescue

Training

is

often

held

in

the

evenings

or

at

weekends

You

’ll

be

given

all

the

equipment

and

protective

clothing

that

you

need

Who

can

apply

All

of

the

following

must

apply

you

’re

aged

or

over

you

have

a

full

driving

licence

you

live

or

work

within

minutes

of

the

rescue

station

check

the

map

to

find

your

nearest

station

Your

local

station

may

have

further

requirements

for

example

you

may

need

to

live

closer

to

the

station

Health

and

fitness

You

need

to

be

reasonably

fit

and

generally

in

good

health

You

must

also

weigh

kg

or

less

have

a

waist

measurement

of

cm

or

less

You

must

take

a

health

and

fitness

test

and

meet

eyesight

and

hearing

requirements

If

you

have

type

diabetes

there

will

be

restrictions

on

what

activities

you

can

do

Contact

crsenquiries@mcga.gov.uk

to

find

out

if

you

can

apply

How

to

apply

Contact

your

local

area

management

team

to

find

out

if

there

are

any

volunteering

opportunities

To

do

this

you

need

to

find

which

team

is

responsible

for

your

area

Check

the

map

of

coastguard

stations

in

the

UK

If

you

can

not

access

the

map

contact

crsenquiries@mcga.gov.uk

Find

the

coastguard

station

you

want

to

volunteer

at

on

the

map

Check

which

area

the

station

is

in

for

example

Area

Email

the

relevant

area

you

can

find

the

contact

details

in

the

table

Use

the

subject

line

coastguard

rescue

service

enrolment

Do

not

send

your

CV

or

any

other

attachments

Area

contact

details

Find

the

email

address

for

your

local

area

Coastguard

area

Email

address


Report

internet

scams

and

phishing

Report

misleading

websites

emails

phone

numbers

phone

calls

or

text

messages

you

think

may

be

suspicious

Do

not

give

out

private

information

such

as

bank

details

or

passwords

reply

to

text

messages

download

attachments

or

click

on

any

links

in

emails

if

you

’re

not

sure

they

’re

genuine

Suspicious

emails

Forward

the

email

to

report@phishing.gov.uk

The

National

Cyber

Security

Centre

NCSC

will

investigate

it

Text

messages

Forward

the

text

message

to

it

’s

free

This

will

report

the

message

to

your

mobile

phone

provider

Adverts

Report

scam

or

misleading

adverts

to

the

Advertising

Standards

Authority

You

can

report

adverts

found

online

including

in

search

engines

websites

or

on

social

media

You

can

also

report

scam

or

misleading

adverts

to

Google

if

you

found

them

in

Google

search

results

or

report

to

Bing

if

you

found

them

in

Bing

search

results

If

you

think

you

’ve

been

a

victim

of

an

online

scam

or

fraud

Contact

Action

Fraud

if

you

think

you

’ve

lost

money

or

been

hacked

because

of

an

online

scam

or

fraud

You

can

report

online

either

sign

up

for

an

account

or

continue

as

a

guest

call

If

you

’re

in

Scotland

and

you

think

you

’ve

been

the

victim

of

an

online

scam

or

fraud

report

the

crime

to

Police

Scotland

Avoid

misleading

government

websites

emails

and

phone

numbers

Some

websites

emails

or

phone

numbers

look

like

they

’re

part

of

an

official

government

service

when

they

’re

not

or

claim

to

help

more

than

they

actually

do

Some

make

you

pay

for

things

that

would

be

free

or

cheaper

if

you

use

the

official

government

service

Search

on

GOV.UK

to

find

official

government

services

and

phone

numbers

for

example

if

you

want

to

apply

to

the

DVLA

for

a

driving

licence

Report

HMRC

phishing

emails

texts

and

phone

call

scams

You

can

report

something

suspicious

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

’s

HMRC

phishing

team

for

example

a

text

message

forward

it

to

you

’ll

be

charged

at

your

network

rate

an

email

forward

it

to

phishing@hmrc.gov.uk

a

message

in

an

application

for

example

WhatsApp

take

a

screenshot

and

forward

as

an

email

phone

calls

asking

for

personal

information

or

threatening

a

lawsuit

report

a

phone

call

Your

email

address

and

phone

number

will

be

shared

with

other

organisations

if

that

’s

necessary

to

close

down

the

scam

If

you

’ve

given

your

personal

details

to

someone

Contact

the

HMRC

security

team

if

you

think

you

’ve

given

any

personal

information

in

reply

to

a

suspicious

email

or

text

Include

brief

details

of

what

you

disclosed

for

example

name

address

HMRC

User

ID

password

but

do

not

give

your

personal

details

in

the

email

Spotting

HMRC

scams

You

’ll

never

get

an

email

text

message

message

in

an

application

for

example

WhatsApp

or

a

phone

call

from

HMRC

which

tells

you

about

a

tax

rebate

or

penalty

asks

for

your

personal

or

payment

information

Check

HMRC

’s

guidance

on

recognising

scams

if

you

’re

not

sure

Report

visa

and

immigration

scams

You

’ll

never

be

asked

to

pay

for

a

visa

using

cash

money

transfer

Contact

Action

Fraud

to

report

visa

and

immigration

scams

You

should

include

a

copy

of

the

suspicious

email

you

received

the

sender

’s

email

address

and

the

date

and

time

it

was

received

details

of

what

you

sent

in

a

reply

if

you

replied

for

example

whether

you

sent

your

bank

details

address

or

password

You

can

also

report

suspicious

emails

letters

or

telephone

calls

to

the

police

through

Action

Fraud


General

election

General

elections

elections

to

the

UK

Parliament

usually

take

place

every

years

To

vote

in

a

general

election

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

be

a

British

Irish

or

qualifying

Commonwealth

citizen

be

resident

at

an

address

in

the

UK

or

a

British

citizen

living

abroad

who

has

been

registered

to

vote

in

the

UK

in

the

last

years

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

There

are

Members

of

Parliament

MPs

in

the

UK

Parliament

MPs

are

elected

using

the

First

Past

the

Post

system

You

vote

once

for

a

candidate

in

your

constituency

and

the

candidate

with

the

most

votes

becomes

your

MP

You

can

find

your

local

MP

Read

more

about

general

elections

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Local

government

Local

government

elections

take

place

at

least

every

years

Not

all

local

government

elections

take

place

at

the

same

time

Your

local

government

will

do

one

of

the

following

elect

all

the

local

councillors

every

years

elect

half

the

local

councillors

every

years

elect

one

third

of

the

local

councillors

every

year

for

years

and

hold

no

elections

in

the

year

To

vote

in

a

local

government

election

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

or

over

in

Scotland

be

registered

at

an

address

in

the

area

you

want

to

vote

in

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

You

must

also

be

one

of

the

following

a

British

citizen

an

Irish

or

EU

citizen

a

qualifying

Commonwealth

citizen

a

citizen

of

another

country

living

in

Scotland

or

Wales

who

has

permission

to

enter

or

stay

in

the

UK

or

who

does

not

need

permission

Local

government

councillors

in

England

and

Wales

are

elected

using

the

First

Past

the

Post

system

You

vote

for

one

candidate

in

your

local

area

and

the

candidate

with

the

most

votes

wins

In

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

councillors

are

elected

using

the

Single

Transferable

Vote

system

You

rank

the

candidates

in

order

of

preference

When

you

can

vote

in

more

than

one

local

election

If

you

live

in

different

local

authority

areas

for

example

because

you

’re

a

student

you

may

be

able

to

vote

in

both

areas

You

must

register

to

vote

in

both

areas

The

local

Electoral

Registration

Offices

will

check

each

application

and

tell

you

if

you

can

register

in

both

areas

Read

more

about

local

government

elections

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Scottish

Parliament

There

are

Members

of

the

Scottish

Parliament

MSPs

To

vote

in

Scottish

Parliament

elections

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

at

an

address

in

Scotland

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

You

must

also

be

one

of

the

following

a

British

citizen

an

Irish

citizen

a

citizen

of

another

country

living

in

Scotland

who

has

permission

to

enter

or

stay

in

the

UK

or

who

does

not

need

permission

MSPs

are

elected

using

the

Additional

Member

system

You

vote

once

for

your

constituency

MSP

and

once

for

an

MSP

to

represent

the

wider

region

Read

more

about

the

Scottish

Parliament

elections

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Northern

Ireland

Assembly

There

are

Members

of

the

Legislative

Assembly

MLAs

in

the

Northern

Ireland

Assembly

To

vote

in

Northern

Ireland

Assembly

elections

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

be

a

British

Irish

qualifying

Commonwealth

or

EU

citizen

be

registered

at

an

address

in

the

area

you

want

to

vote

in

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

MLAs

are

elected

by

the

Single

Transferable

Vote

system

Read

more

about

the

Northern

Ireland

Assembly

elections

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Welsh

Parliament

There

are

Members

of

the

Senedd

Cymru

Welsh

Parliament

MSs

To

vote

in

Welsh

Parliament

elections

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

live

in

Wales

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

MSs

are

elected

using

the

Additional

Member

system

You

vote

once

for

your

constituency

MS

and

once

for

an

MS

to

represent

the

wider

region

Read

more

about

the

Welsh

Parliament

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Local

mayors

Mayor

of

London

and

London

Assembly

Elected

local

mayors

In

some

areas

of

England

voters

elect

a

mayor

Check

if

your

mayor

is

elected

on

your

local

council

website

Mayors

are

elected

using

the

Supplementary

Vote

system

You

make

a

first

and

second

choice

when

you

vote

If

no

candidate

gets

more

than

of

the

first

choice

votes

all

except

the

top

candidates

are

eliminated

If

your

first

choice

candidate

is

eliminated

and

your

second

choice

is

for

one

of

the

top

then

your

second

choice

is

counted

To

vote

for

a

local

mayor

you

must

be

eligible

to

vote

in

local

elections

Mayor

of

London

and

London

Assembly

The

Mayor

of

London

makes

decisions

on

behalf

of

the

people

of

London

The

London

Assembly

Members

make

sure

the

Mayor

’s

decisions

are

in

the

interests

of

the

public

To

vote

in

the

London

Mayor

and

London

Assembly

elections

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

be

a

British

Irish

qualifying

Commonwealth

or

EU

citizen

be

resident

at

an

address

in

Greater

London

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

The

Mayor

of

London

is

elected

using

the

Supplementary

Vote

system

You

make

a

first

and

second

choice

when

you

vote

If

no

candidate

gets

more

than

of

the

first

choice

votes

all

except

the

top

candidates

are

eliminated

If

your

first

choice

candidate

is

eliminated

and

your

second

choice

is

for

one

of

the

top

your

second

choice

is

counted

London

Assembly

members

are

elected

using

the

Additional

Member

system

You

vote

once

for

your

constituency

member

and

once

for

a

London

wide

representative

There

are

constituency

members

and

London

wide

members

Read

more

about

the

Mayor

of

London

and

London

Assembly

elections

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Police

and

Crime

Commissioner

There

are

Police

and

Crime

Commissioners

PCCs

in

England

and

Wales

who

are

elected

to

make

sure

the

police

are

run

properly

There

is

no

elected

PCC

for

London

To

vote

in

a

PCC

election

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

election

polling

day

be

a

British

Irish

qualifying

Commonwealth

or

EU

citizen

be

resident

at

an

address

in

England

or

Wales

excluding

London

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

PCCs

are

elected

using

the

Supplementary

Vote

system

You

make

a

first

and

second

choice

when

you

vote

If

no

candidate

gets

more

than

of

the

first

choice

votes

all

except

the

top

candidates

are

eliminated

If

your

first

choice

candidate

is

eliminated

and

your

second

choice

is

for

one

of

the

top

your

second

choice

is

counted

Read

more

about

Police

and

Crime

Commissioner

elections

on

The

Electoral

Commission

website

Referendums

A

referendum

is

a

vote

on

a

single

issue

Each

referendum

has

different

rules

on

who

can

vote

in

it

To

vote

in

a

referendum

you

must

be

registered

to

vote

be

or

over

on

the

day

of

the

referendum

polling

day

be

a

British

Irish

or

Commonwealth

citizen

be

resident

at

an

address

in

the

UK

or

Gibraltar

or

a

British

citizen

living

abroad

who

has

been

registered

to

vote

in

the

UK

in

the

last

years

not

be

legally

excluded

from

voting

You

make

one

choice

between

options

Votes

are

counted

for

the

whole

of

the

UK

not

by

constituency


Overview

You

can

appeal

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

if

the

Home

Office

has

decided

to

refuse

your

protection

claim

also

known

as

asylum

claim

or

humanitarian

protection

revoke

your

protection

status

refuse

your

human

rights

claim

refuse

you

a

residence

document

or

deport

you

under

the

Immigration

European

Economic

Area

Regulations

revoke

your

British

citizenship

refuse

or

revoke

your

status

vary

the

length

or

condition

of

your

stay

or

deport

you

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

refuse

or

revoke

your

travel

permit

or

family

permit

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

or

restrict

your

rights

to

enter

or

leave

the

UK

under

those

permits

refuse

or

revoke

your

permit

or

deport

you

if

you

’re

a

frontier

worker

refuse

or

revoke

your

leave

or

deport

you

if

you

’re

an

healthcare

visitor

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

A

judge

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

If

you

do

not

have

the

right

to

appeal

you

might

be

able

to

ask

the

Home

Office

for

an

administrative

review

How

to

appeal

How

you

appeal

depends

on

whether

you

’re

applying

for

yourself

or

if

you

’re

a

legal

professional

appealing

on

behalf

of

a

client

If

you

’re

a

solicitor

or

an

immigration

adviser

For

most

cases

you

must

appeal

online

using

the

MyHMCTS

service

You

’ll

need

to

create

an

account

first

if

you

do

not

have

one

You

must

only

appeal

using

a

paper

form

if

your

client

is

in

detention

or

has

been

refused

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

If

you

’re

appealing

for

yourself

without

a

solicitor

or

immigration

adviser

Find

out

how

to

appeal

from

within

the

UK

outside

the

UK

There

’s

a

different

way

to

appeal

if

you

made

your

application

before

April

Help

you

can

get

You

can

get

help

and

advice

from

a

solicitor

or

an

immigration

adviser

You

can

also

contact

Citizens

Advice

Read

the

guide

on

representing

yourself

if

you

’re

not

going

to

have

a

legal

representative

You

may

be

able

to

get

asylum

support

such

as

housing

and

money

if

you

’ve

been

refused

asylum

Contact

the

tribunal

if

you

have

any

questions

about

your

appeal

The

tribunal

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

Urgent

appeal

applications

You

need

to

write

to

the

tribunal

with

the

reason

why

your

case

should

be

heard

urgently

evidence

of

compelling

or

compassionate

grounds

for

example

letters

from

a

doctor

or

hospital

You

should

write

expedite

requests

on

the

top

of

any

documents

you

send

with

your

application

A

judge

will

review

your

evidence

and

decide

whether

your

application

should

be

heard

sooner

than

usual

Your

application

will

only

be

reviewed

if

you

’ve

paid

your

tribunal

fee

if

you

need

to

pay

one

Where

to

send

your

application

Send

your

reasons

for

the

urgent

appeal

and

evidence

to

the

tribunal

Contact

the

tribunal

to

check

if

your

application

has

been

received

If

your

EU

Settlement

Scheme

frontier

worker

or

healthcare

visitor

application

is

unsuccessful

You

can

apply

again

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Frontier

Worker

permit

or

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

for

free

if

you

have

new

evidence

to

submit

Or

you

can

ask

the

Home

Office

for

an

administrative

review

This

costs

You

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

days

Your

decision

letter

will

tell

you

if

you

can

apply

You

can

appeal

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

This

costs

without

a

hearing

and

with

a

hearing

You

can

only

appeal

a

decision

if

you

made

your

application

after

pm

on

January

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

December

for

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

pm

on

December

for

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

Appeal

from

within

the

UK

You

can

only

appeal

to

the

tribunal

if

you

have

the

legal

right

to

appeal

you

’ll

usually

be

told

if

you

do

in

your

decision

letter

Talk

to

a

solicitor

or

an

immigration

adviser

if

you

’re

not

sure

Read

the

guide

on

representing

yourself

if

you

’re

not

going

to

have

a

legal

representative

Your

decision

letter

will

usually

tell

you

if

you

can

apply

for

an

administrative

review

if

you

do

not

have

the

right

to

appeal

The

administrative

review

process

is

different

if

you

applied

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

or

an

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

How

to

appeal

How

you

appeal

depends

on

whether

you

’re

applying

for

yourself

or

if

you

’re

a

legal

professional

appealing

on

behalf

of

a

client

If

you

’re

a

solicitor

or

an

immigration

adviser

For

most

cases

you

must

appeal

online

using

the

MyHMCTS

service

You

’ll

need

to

create

an

account

first

if

you

do

not

have

one

You

must

only

appeal

using

a

paper

form

if

your

client

is

in

detention

or

has

been

refused

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

If

you

’re

appealing

for

yourself

without

a

solicitor

or

immigration

adviser

You

have

days

to

appeal

from

the

date

the

decision

was

sent

If

you

apply

after

the

deadline

you

must

explain

why

the

tribunal

will

decide

if

it

can

still

hear

your

appeal

You

can

appeal

later

if

your

administrative

review

was

unsuccessful

for

a

EU

Settlement

Scheme

frontier

worker

or

healthcare

visitor

application

Your

administrative

review

decision

will

tell

you

how

to

appeal

Apply

online

if

you

can

online

appeals

are

quicker

than

post

or

fax

appeals

What

you

’re

appealing

How

you

can

appeal

A

decision

to

refuse

your

human

rights

claim

or

protection

claim

while

you

’re

in

the

UK

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

revoke

your

protection

status

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

you

a

residence

document

or

deport

you

under

the

Immigration

European

Economic

Area

Regulations

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

status

vary

the

length

or

condition

of

your

stay

or

deport

you

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

family

permit

or

travel

permit

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

permit

or

deport

you

if

you

’re

a

frontier

worker

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

leave

or

deport

you

if

you

’re

on

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

where

you

’ve

been

detained

in

an

Immigration

detention

centre

and

your

decision

letter

was

sent

by

the

Home

Office

By

post

or

fax

with

form

IAFT

DIA

A

decision

where

you

’ve

been

detained

in

prison

and

your

decision

letter

was

sent

by

the

Home

Office

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

remove

your

British

citizenship

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

Certain

decisions

about

applications

submitted

before

April

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

the

relevant

form

If

you

’re

appealing

by

post

or

fax

download

and

fill

in

the

relevant

form

Send

or

fax

it

with

copies

of

the

documents

that

support

your

appeal

to

the

address

on

the

form

Ask

for

an

oral

hearing

You

can

ask

on

your

appeal

form

for

a

decision

to

be

made

either

just

on

the

information

in

your

appeal

form

and

any

documents

supplied

to

the

tribunal

at

a

hearing

that

you

and

your

representative

can

attend

The

tribunal

can

decide

to

have

a

hearing

even

if

you

do

not

ask

for

one

You

’ll

be

told

if

this

is

the

case

and

invited

to

attend

If

the

tribunal

does

not

hold

a

hearing

a

judge

will

decide

your

case

based

on

your

appeal

form

and

the

documents

Hearings

are

carried

out

in

public

You

can

ask

for

it

to

be

held

in

private

or

to

attend

by

video

link

but

you

must

have

a

reason

for

example

a

public

hearing

would

put

you

in

danger

You

can

ask

for

a

male

or

female

judge

if

you

think

there

are

issues

in

your

appeal

that

make

it

appropriate

The

tribunal

will

decide

if

it

can

do

this

Special

requirements

Contact

the

Customer

Enquiry

Unit

before

your

hearing

if

you

need

any

special

help

for

example

you

need

wheelchair

access

Fees

It

costs

without

a

hearing

with

a

hearing

You

may

not

have

to

pay

if

you

get

asylum

support

get

legal

aid

get

services

from

your

local

council

and

you

’re

under

You

can

also

get

help

with

court

fees

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

have

little

or

no

savings

you

’re

on

certain

benefits

you

have

a

low

income

Read

the

tribunal

fees

guidance

for

more

information

Contact

the

tribunal

if

you

’re

unsure

if

you

have

to

pay

a

fee

How

to

pay

You

can

pay

your

fee

with

a

credit

or

debit

card

when

you

make

your

appeal

online

or

by

including

your

details

on

your

appeal

form

If

you

’ve

already

made

your

appeal

you

can

also

pay

your

fee

online

If

your

EU

Settlement

Scheme

frontier

worker

or

healthcare

visitor

application

is

unsuccessful

If

you

have

new

evidence

to

submit

you

can

apply

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

apply

for

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

apply

for

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

It

’s

free

to

apply

Or

you

can

ask

the

Home

Office

for

an

administrative

review

This

costs

You

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

days

Your

decision

letter

will

tell

you

if

you

can

apply

You

can

appeal

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

This

costs

without

a

hearing

and

with

a

hearing

You

can

only

appeal

a

decision

if

you

made

your

application

after

pm

on

January

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

December

for

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

pm

on

December

for

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

Appeal

from

outside

the

UK

You

can

only

appeal

to

the

tribunal

if

you

have

the

legal

right

to

appeal

you

’ll

usually

be

told

if

you

do

in

your

decision

letter

If

you

’ve

been

refused

a

tier

or

visa

you

will

be

able

to

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

reviewed

at

an

administrative

review

your

refusal

letter

will

usually

tell

you

if

you

can

The

administrative

review

process

is

different

if

you

applied

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

or

an

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

Talk

to

a

solicitor

or

an

immigration

adviser

if

you

’re

unsure

whether

you

can

appeal

Read

the

guide

on

representing

yourself

if

you

’re

not

going

to

have

a

legal

representative

How

to

appeal

How

you

appeal

depends

on

whether

you

’re

applying

for

yourself

or

if

you

’re

a

legal

professional

appealing

on

behalf

of

a

client

If

you

’re

a

solicitor

or

an

immigration

adviser

For

most

cases

you

must

appeal

online

using

the

MyHMCTS

service

You

’ll

need

to

create

an

account

first

if

you

do

not

have

one

You

must

only

appeal

using

a

paper

form

if

your

client

is

in

detention

or

has

been

refused

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

If

you

’re

appealing

for

yourself

without

a

solicitor

or

immigration

adviser

You

have

days

to

appeal

after

you

get

your

decision

If

you

have

to

leave

the

country

before

you

’re

allowed

to

appeal

you

have

days

to

appeal

once

you

’ve

left

the

country

If

you

apply

after

the

deadline

you

must

explain

why

the

tribunal

will

decide

if

it

can

still

hear

your

appeal

You

can

appeal

later

if

your

administrative

review

was

unsuccessful

for

a

EU

Settlement

Scheme

frontier

worker

or

healthcare

visitor

application

Your

administrative

review

decision

will

tell

you

how

to

appeal

Apply

online

if

you

can

online

appeals

are

quicker

than

post

or

fax

appeals

What

you

’re

appealing

How

you

can

appeal

A

decision

to

refuse

a

human

rights

claim

for

entry

clearance

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

a

human

rights

claim

or

protection

claim

where

you

can

only

apply

after

you

’ve

left

the

country

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

you

a

residence

document

or

deport

you

under

the

Immigration

European

Economic

Area

Regulations

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

status

vary

the

length

or

condition

of

your

stay

or

deport

you

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

family

permit

or

travel

permit

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

permit

or

deport

you

if

you

’re

a

frontier

worker

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

A

decision

to

refuse

or

revoke

your

leave

or

deport

you

if

you

’re

on

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

Certain

decisions

about

applications

submitted

before

April

Online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

the

relevant

form

If

you

’re

appealing

by

post

or

fax

download

and

fill

in

the

relevant

form

Send

or

fax

it

with

copies

of

the

documents

that

support

your

appeal

to

the

address

on

the

form

Ask

for

an

oral

hearing

You

can

ask

on

your

appeal

form

for

a

decision

to

be

made

either

just

on

the

information

in

your

appeal

form

and

any

documents

supplied

to

the

tribunal

at

a

hearing

that

your

representatives

can

attend

The

tribunal

can

decide

to

have

a

hearing

even

if

you

do

not

ask

for

one

You

’ll

be

told

if

this

is

the

case

If

the

tribunal

does

not

hold

a

hearing

a

judge

will

decide

your

case

based

on

your

appeal

form

and

documents

Hearings

are

carried

out

in

public

You

can

ask

for

it

to

be

held

in

private

or

to

attend

by

video

link

but

you

must

have

a

reason

for

example

a

public

hearing

would

put

you

in

danger

You

can

ask

for

a

male

or

female

judge

if

you

think

there

are

issues

in

your

appeal

that

make

it

appropriate

The

tribunal

will

decide

if

it

can

do

this

Special

requirements

Contact

the

Customer

Enquiry

Unit

before

your

hearing

if

any

special

help

is

needed

for

example

someone

attending

on

your

behalf

needs

wheelchair

access

Fees

It

costs

without

a

hearing

with

a

hearing

You

may

not

have

to

pay

if

you

get

legal

aid

Read

the

tribunal

fees

guidance

for

more

information

Contact

the

tribunal

if

you

’re

not

sure

if

you

have

to

pay

a

fee

How

to

pay

You

can

pay

your

fee

with

a

credit

or

debit

card

when

you

make

your

appeal

online

or

by

including

your

details

on

your

appeal

form

If

you

’ve

already

made

your

appeal

you

can

also

pay

your

fee

online

If

your

EU

Settlement

Scheme

frontier

worker

or

healthcare

visitor

application

is

unsuccessful

If

you

have

new

evidence

to

submit

you

can

apply

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

apply

for

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

apply

for

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

It

’s

free

to

apply

Or

you

can

ask

the

Home

Office

for

an

administrative

review

This

costs

You

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

within

days

Your

decision

letter

will

tell

you

if

you

can

apply

You

can

appeal

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

This

costs

without

a

hearing

and

with

a

hearing

You

can

only

appeal

a

decision

if

you

made

your

application

after

pm

on

January

for

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

December

for

a

Frontier

Worker

permit

pm

on

December

for

a

Healthcare

Visitor

visa

Applications

made

before

April

You

might

be

able

to

appeal

against

a

decision

made

by

the

Home

Office

if

you

submitted

your

application

before

April

and

it

was

refused

Tier

or

migrants

and

family

members

You

can

make

an

appeal

if

you

applied

for

leave

to

remain

as

a

Tier

or

migrant

or

family

member

before

March

and

your

application

was

refused

on

or

after

April

You

can

only

do

this

if

your

application

being

refused

means

you

do

not

have

permission

leave

to

enter

or

remain

in

the

UK

Appeal

online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

form

if

you

’ve

left

the

UK

Tier

migrants

and

family

members

You

can

make

an

appeal

if

you

applied

for

permission

to

remain

as

a

Tier

migrant

or

family

member

before

October

and

your

application

was

refused

on

or

after

April

You

can

only

do

this

if

your

application

being

refused

means

you

do

not

have

permission

leave

to

enter

or

remain

in

the

UK

Appeal

online

or

by

post

or

fax

with

form

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

form

if

you

’ve

left

the

UK

Other

decisions

You

can

appeal

against

certain

other

Home

Office

decisions

if

you

applied

before

April

and

your

application

was

refused

on

or

after

the

same

date

You

can

only

do

this

if

the

Home

Office

’s

decision

did

not

include

refusing

an

asylum

or

human

rights

claim

Leave

to

enter

You

can

appeal

online

if

your

application

for

leave

to

enter

was

refused

You

can

also

appeal

by

post

or

fax

with

form

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

form

if

you

’ve

left

the

UK

Vary

your

leave

to

enter

or

remain

You

can

appeal

online

if

your

application

to

change

vary

the

length

and

conditions

of

your

stay

in

the

UK

was

refused

You

can

only

do

this

if

your

application

being

refused

means

you

do

not

have

permission

leave

to

enter

or

remain

in

the

UK

You

can

also

appeal

by

post

or

fax

with

form

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

form

if

you

’ve

left

the

UK

Entry

clearance

You

can

appeal

online

if

your

application

for

entry

clearance

was

refused

You

can

also

appeal

by

post

or

fax

with

form

Certificate

of

entitlement

You

can

appeal

online

if

your

application

for

a

certificate

of

entitlement

to

prove

you

have

a

right

of

abode

in

the

UK

was

refused

You

can

also

appeal

by

post

or

fax

with

form

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

form

if

you

’ve

left

the

UK

If

there

's

a

hearing

You

’ll

get

a

letter

or

email

with

details

of

how

to

attend

your

hearing

You

may

be

asked

to

attend

in

person

at

a

tribunal

building

or

asked

to

attend

remotely

by

a

video

link

or

by

phone

If

you

’ll

be

attending

remotely

the

letter

or

email

will

tell

you

how

to

prepare

for

this

You

can

check

the

daily

courts

lists

on

the

day

of

your

hearing

to

find

out

if

anything

has

changed

If

you

can

not

attend

yourself

you

can

ask

someone

to

represent

you

and

ask

witnesses

to

attend

You

may

have

to

give

evidence

at

the

hearing

and

answer

questions

You

may

need

to

take

part

in

a

pre

hearing

where

the

tribunal

will

check

that

you

’re

ready

for

a

full

hearing

The

hearing

will

normally

be

attended

by

a

judge

sometimes

with

other

tribunal

members

a

clerk

and

other

tribunal

staff

to

help

run

the

hearing

your

representative

if

you

have

one

a

Home

Office

presenting

officer

who

will

argue

the

case

for

the

Home

Office

any

witnesses

called

to

give

evidence

an

interpreter

if

you

’ve

asked

for

one

It

can

also

normally

be

attended

by

your

sponsor

if

you

have

one

members

of

the

public

the

press

or

media

If

your

appeal

can

not

be

resolved

at

the

hearing

If

your

appeal

is

not

held

on

its

scheduled

day

for

any

reason

for

example

there

is

not

a

judge

available

it

’ll

be

rescheduled

for

another

day

Your

hearing

may

also

be

adjourned

as

part

heard

if

there

is

not

enough

time

to

finish

it

or

it

can

not

be

resolved

on

the

day

The

tribunal

will

arrange

another

hearing

with

the

same

people

present

Get

a

decision

You

’ll

be

given

a

decision

in

person

or

by

post

The

tribunal

will

either

decide

to

allow

your

appeal

this

does

not

automatically

mean

you

’ll

be

able

to

enter

or

stay

in

the

country

and

may

simply

mean

the

Home

Office

has

to

reconsider

its

decision

dismiss

your

appeal

and

uphold

the

Home

Office

’s

original

decision

You

’ll

usually

get

a

copy

of

the

tribunal

’s

decision

within

weeks

of

the

hearing

Both

you

and

the

Home

Office

can

appeal

the

decision

of

the

tribunal

The

tribunal

can

order

either

you

or

the

Home

Office

to

pay

the

other

’s

costs

if

either

of

you

has

acted

unreasonably

If

you

win

your

appeal

The

Home

Office

will

change

revise

its

decision

if

you

win

your

appeal

The

Home

Office

may

reconsider

your

entire

application

if

your

circumstances

have

changed

since

you

first

made

your

appeal

The

judge

may

order

the

Home

Office

to

pay

you

a

fee

award

if

you

win

your

appeal

up

to

the

amount

you

paid

for

your

tribunal

fee

Email

the

Home

Office

if

you

do

not

get

your

fee

award

after

days

Include

the

following

information

your

Home

Office

reference

number

your

appeal

reference

number

the

date

of

the

tribunal

decision

letter

If

you

lose

your

appeal

You

can

ask

for

permission

to

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

if

you

lose

your

case

and

you

think

there

’s

a

legal

mistake

with

the

tribunal

’s

decision

For

example

you

think

the

tribunal

got

the

law

wrong

do

not

apply

the

correct

law

do

not

follow

the

correct

procedures

which

affected

the

decision

had

no

evidence

to

support

its

decision

Legislation

and

previous

decisions

Read

the

rules

the

tribunal

must

follow

and

the

guidance

it

’s

issued

All

parties

must

follow

the

rules

and

process

in

the

Tribunal

Procedure

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

Rules

The

tribunal

will

make

a

decision

based

on

legislation

including

the

Immigration

Act

Nationality

Immigration

and

Asylum

Act

Immigration

Asylum

and

Nationality

Act

Tribunals

Courts

and

Enforcement

Act

UK

Borders

Act

Borders

Citizenship

and

Immigration

Act

Immigration

Rules

Immigration

European

Economic

Area

Regulations

The

tribunal

fees

are

set

out

in

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

Fees

Order

The

president

of

the

tribunal

has

issued

guidance

which

provides

more

detail

on

certain

issues

There

are

also

older

guidance

notes

for

the

Asylum

and

Immigration

Tribunal

which

still

apply

to

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber

Check

the

decisions

database

to

see

how

previous

decisions

on

appeals

have

been

made

by

the

Immigration

and

Asylum

Chamber


Overview

You

can

appeal

to

the

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

problem

with

a

decision

made

by

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Property

Chamber

Residential

Property

Tribunal

in

Wales

Leasehold

Valuation

Tribunal

in

Wales

Valuation

Tribunal

in

England

or

Wales

You

might

need

to

get

permission

before

you

appeal

You

can

also

apply

to

the

tribunal

if

your

case

is

about

compensation

for

the

compulsory

purchase

of

land

discharge

or

modification

of

land

affected

by

a

restrictive

covenant

compensation

for

the

effect

on

land

affected

by

public

works

a

tree

preservation

order

compensation

for

damage

to

land

damaged

by

subsidence

from

mining

the

valuation

of

land

or

buildings

for

Capital

Gains

Tax

or

Inheritance

Tax

purposes

a

right

to

light

dispute

compensation

for

blighted

land

The

tribunal

is

independent

and

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

Help

you

can

get

A

mediation

service

could

be

quicker

and

cheaper

than

going

to

the

tribunal

Mediation

is

when

an

independent

and

impartial

person

discusses

a

problem

with

both

parties

to

try

to

find

a

solution

You

can

contact

Citizens

Advice

or

the

Leasehold

Advisory

Service

for

free

legal

advice

You

can

also

find

a

lawyer

Call

or

email

the

tribunal

if

you

have

any

questions

about

the

process

The

tribunal

can

not

give

you

legal

advice

Get

permission

You

need

to

get

permission

before

you

appeal

to

the

tribunal

if

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

made

by

the

First

tier

Tribunal

Property

Chamber

Residential

Property

Tribunal

in

Wales

Leasehold

Valuation

Tribunal

in

Wales

You

can

appeal

to

the

tribunal

without

permission

if

your

case

is

about

a

decision

about

rates

made

by

the

Valuation

Tribunal

in

England

or

Wales

You

do

not

need

to

get

permission

to

apply

to

the

tribunal

How

to

get

permission

Ask

the

tribunal

that

originally

made

the

decision

for

permission

to

appeal

Follow

the

steps

on

your

decision

letter

The

original

tribunal

must

get

your

request

for

permission

within

days

of

your

decision

letter

Speak

to

the

original

tribunal

for

details

If

you

’re

refused

permission

You

can

ask

the

Lands

Chamber

for

permission

directly

if

you

’re

refused

it

from

the

original

tribunal

Follow

the

steps

on

your

decision

letter

You

must

do

this

within

days

of

being

refused

permission

It

costs

except

for

land

registration

cases

where

there

’s

no

fee

You

may

be

able

to

get

help

paying

the

fee

if

you

’re

getting

certain

benefits

or

on

a

low

income

You

can

apply

for

judicial

review

if

you

do

not

get

permission

from

the

Lands

Chamber

Speak

to

a

solicitor

to

get

help

with

the

application

How

to

apply

or

appeal

Check

whether

you

need

permission

You

can

appeal

or

apply

without

permission

in

some

cases

Fill

in

the

form

The

form

you

fill

in

depends

on

what

your

case

is

about

The

address

is

on

the

form

You

must

pay

a

fee

you

can

apply

for

help

if

you

’re

getting

certain

benefits

or

on

a

low

income

What

your

case

is

about

Form

Fee

Deadline

Guidance

First

tier

Tribunal

Property

Chamber

decision

Form

or

Form

no

fee

for

land

registration

cases

month

of

getting

permission

Leaflet

and

Leasehold

Valuation

Tribunal

and

Residential

Property

Tribunal

decisions

Form

or

Form

month

of

getting

permission

Leaflet

Valuation

Tribunal

in

England

or

Wales

decision

Form

days

of

the

decision

Leaflet

and

Form

Compulsory

acquisition

of

land

and

other

land

compensation

Form

or

Form

Get

legal

advice

it

depends

on

your

case

Leaflet

and

Restrictive

covenant

Form

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

and

Public

works

Form

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

and

Compulsory

acquisition

where

owner

is

absent

greater

London

Form

or

Form

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

and

Compulsory

acquisition

where

owner

is

absent

not

in

greater

London

Form

or

Form

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

and

Right

to

light

dispute

Form

or

Form

or

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

Tree

preservation

order

Form

or

Form

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

and

Compensation

for

blighted

land

Form

or

Form

Get

legal

advice

Leaflet

and

Any

other

case

See

the

list

of

forms

What

to

include

You

must

include

a

copy

of

the

decision

you

’re

appealing

against

if

you

’re

appealing

a

decision

what

your

case

is

about

for

example

leasehold

enfranchisement

rent

increases

variation

of

a

lease

whether

you

’d

like

to

go

to

the

hearing

and

whether

you

need

special

arrangements

for

example

because

of

mobility

issues

whether

you

’d

like

to

call

any

expert

witnesses

a

statement

of

case

where

you

set

out

why

you

’re

appealing

or

applying

to

the

tribunal

any

other

documents

mentioned

on

the

form

What

happens

next

The

tribunal

will

decide

if

it

can

consider

your

case

In

most

cases

you

will

be

asked

to

attend

a

hearing

to

present

your

case

You

can

also

ask

for

a

decision

to

be

made

without

a

hearing

The

judge

will

decide

if

it

’s

necessary

Get

a

time

extension

You

may

be

able

to

get

a

time

extension

for

any

step

of

the

process

You

must

tell

the

tribunal

why

you

need

more

time

You

must

also

tell

the

other

party

in

writing

that

you

’re

going

to

ask

for

an

extension

It

costs

make

a

cheque

payable

to

HMCTS

and

send

it

to

the

tribunal

with

a

letter

explaining

your

request

You

must

also

send

a

copy

of

this

letter

to

the

other

party

If

you

get

a

hearing

You

’ll

usually

be

asked

when

you

’re

available

to

attend

a

hearing

In

certain

cases

you

may

be

told

when

a

hearing

will

take

place

but

you

’ll

be

told

at

least

days

beforehand

Hearings

can

be

held

sooner

than

this

under

exceptional

circumstances

You

can

call

a

witness

to

support

your

case

You

can

check

the

daily

courts

lists

before

your

hearing

to

find

out

if

anything

has

changed

Hearings

cost

between

and

depending

on

the

size

of

the

claim

and

are

usually

held

in

public

There

’s

no

hearing

fee

for

land

registration

cases

You

may

be

asked

questions

by

the

judge

the

other

party

or

their

representative

if

they

have

one

You

can

not

claim

any

expenses

for

going

to

a

tribunal

hearing

The

tribunal

may

order

the

other

party

to

pay

your

costs

if

you

win

your

case

You

’ll

get

a

decision

in

writing

after

the

hearing

usually

within

months

If

you

lose

your

case

You

may

be

able

to

appeal

to

a

higher

court

if

you

think

there

was

a

legal

problem

with

the

judge

’s

decision

at

the

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Get

legal

help

or

advice

if

you

’re

not

sure

You

must

ask

the

upper

tribunal

judge

for

permission

before

you

appeal

you

must

do

this

in

writing

within

month

of

the

decision

If

the

judge

refuses

you

permission

you

can

ask

the

Court

of

Appeal

in

England

and

Wales

for

permission

Legislation

and

previous

decisions

Read

the

rules

the

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

must

follow

and

its

decisions

on

previous

cases

Previous

decisions

Search

the

decisions

database

to

see

how

and

why

previous

decisions

have

been

made

Legislation

The

tribunal

must

follow

the

rules

and

process

set

out

in

the

Tribunal

Procedure

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Rules

Tribunal

Procedure

Amendment

Rules

Tribunal

Procedure

Amendment

No

Rules

Practice

Directions

The

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Practice

Statement

Delegation

of

functions

to

staff

in

the

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Fees

Order

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Fees

Amendment

Order

Upper

Tribunal

Lands

Chamber

Fees

Amendment

Order

Read

the

Practice

Directions

and

Practice

Statements

for

more

guidance


Overview

You

can

challenge

your

solicitor

’s

bill

if

you

think

you

’ve

been

charged

too

much

Ask

the

Senior

Courts

Costs

Office

to

make

a

detailed

assessment

of

your

bill

They

can

reduce

your

bill

if

they

agree

it

’s

too

expensive

There

’s

a

different

process

if

you

want

to

complain

about

your

solicitor

’s

behaviour

Before

you

apply

Try

to

solve

the

problem

with

your

solicitor

before

contacting

the

court

You

can

complain

to

your

solicitor

directly

by

following

their

complaints

procedure

You

can

also

get

free

legal

help

and

advice

from

your

local

Citizens

Advice

Bureau

your

local

Law

Centre

the

Royal

Courts

of

Justice

Advice

Bureau

When

to

apply

You

must

apply

to

the

court

before

asking

for

a

detailed

assessment

You

must

do

this

within

one

month

of

getting

your

solicitor

’s

bill

If

you

do

not

you

can

still

apply

within

a

year

of

getting

the

bill

but

the

court

might

ask

you

to

pay

part

or

all

of

what

you

owe

upfront

You

’ll

get

back

what

you

’ve

overpaid

if

the

judge

agrees

you

’ve

been

charged

too

much

You

might

also

be

able

to

apply

if

you

’ve

already

paid

your

solicitor

’s

bill

or

it

’s

been

over

a

year

since

you

got

it

You

can

only

do

this

in

special

circumstances

you

must

explain

what

these

are

when

you

apply

How

to

apply

Download

and

fill

in

copies

of

Part

claim

form

You

must

pay

Send

a

cheque

made

payable

to

HMCTS

with

all

copies

of

your

completed

form

and

a

copy

of

your

solicitor

’s

bill

to

You

can

apply

to

your

local

District

Registry

a

court

that

deals

with

certain

High

Court

cases

instead

if

you

live

outside

of

London

Apply

to

your

nearest

county

court

if

the

original

case

was

dealt

with

by

a

county

court

and

your

solicitor

’s

bill

is

for

or

less

What

happens

next

The

court

will

keep

one

copy

of

your

claim

form

The

other

copies

will

be

sent

to

you

and

your

solicitor

and

stamped

with

an

issue

date

You

’ll

then

get

an

acknowledgement

of

service

from

your

solicitor

confirming

they

’ve

seen

your

application

You

’ll

be

asked

to

attend

a

hearing

if

your

solicitor

does

not

think

you

should

have

a

detailed

assessment

You

’ll

get

a

notice

of

hearing

from

the

court

saying

when

and

where

the

hearing

will

take

place

You

’ll

get

a

letter

from

your

solicitor

if

they

agree

to

a

detailed

assessment

Send

a

copy

of

this

letter

to

the

court

If

your

solicitor

does

not

challenge

your

application

you

can

ask

them

to

give

their

consent

If

they

agree

then

the

court

might

decide

neither

of

you

will

need

to

go

to

the

hearing

If

you

have

a

hearing

Both

you

and

the

other

side

will

present

your

case

to

a

Costs

Judge

or

a

District

Judge

if

the

hearing

is

held

outside

London

You

must

bring

with

you

copies

of

any

documents

you

’ve

sent

to

the

court

as

part

of

your

application

The

court

will

decide

whether

to

order

a

detailed

assessment

You

’ll

get

the

decision

then

or

by

post

within

a

few

days

of

the

hearing

If

you

disagree

with

the

decision

You

can

make

an

appeal

if

you

disagree

with

the

court

’s

decision

You

must

get

permission

before

you

appeal

you

can

ask

the

Costs

Judge

at

the

hearing

You

can

ask

the

appeal

court

for

permission

if

you

’re

refused

or

do

not

ask

for

it

at

the

hearing

Read

leaflet

for

more

information

Get

a

detailed

assessment

You

’ll

be

given

a

court

order

after

the

hearing

that

says

whether

you

can

have

a

detailed

assessment

The

detailed

assessment

will

take

place

at

another

hearing

Download

and

fill

in

request

form

You

must

also

pay

a

court

fee

How

much

you

pay

will

depend

on

the

size

of

your

solicitor

’s

bill

Amount

on

your

solicitor

’s

bill

Fee

or

less

to

to

to

to

to

to

or

more

Other

fees

You

must

pay

your

own

costs

and

the

other

party

’s

reasonable

costs

of

the

detailed

assessment

unless

the

judge

reduces

your

solicitor

’s

bill

by

or

more

there

are

special

circumstances

for

example

you

originally

offered

to

settle

the

bill

for

an

amount

more

than

the

final

amount

fixed

by

the

court

How

much

you

pay

will

depend

on

how

much

time

your

solicitor

has

spent

in

court

this

is

usually

worked

out

from

their

hourly

rate


Before

the

trial

If

you

’re

a

victim

of

crime

or

a

witness

for

the

prosecution

a

witness

care

officer

will

tell

you

which

court

to

go

to

and

when

to

go

there

If

you

’re

a

witness

for

the

defence

the

defence

lawyer

will

tell

you

when

you

have

to

go

to

court

You

’ll

usually

be

given

a

fixed

date

to

go

to

court

Sometimes

you

’ll

be

given

a

to

week

period

that

you

’ll

need

to

keep

free

this

is

known

as

a

warned

period

or

floating

trial

If

this

happens

you

’ll

be

given

working

day

’s

notice

before

you

are

due

to

go

to

court

You

must

tell

your

witness

care

officer

or

the

defence

lawyer

straight

away

if

you

can

not

make

the

date

of

the

trial

Help

getting

to

the

court

There

’s

different

support

if

you

’re

going

to

court

as

a

witness

in

Scotland

or

Northern

Ireland

You

’re

a

victim

or

prosecution

witness

Ask

the

witness

care

officer

for

help

if

you

can

not

easily

travel

to

court

They

might

be

able

to

provide

transport

You

might

be

able

to

give

evidence

through

a

video

link

if

you

live

far

away

from

the

court

or

find

it

very

difficult

to

get

there

Ask

your

witness

care

officer

if

this

is

available

You

’re

a

defence

witness

Speak

to

the

defence

lawyer

if

you

need

help

with

getting

to

court

You

might

be

able

to

give

evidence

through

a

video

link

if

you

live

far

away

from

the

court

or

find

it

very

difficult

to

get

there

Ask

the

defence

lawyer

if

this

is

possible

Help

in

the

courtroom

if

you

have

a

disability

Check

which

facilities

are

available

in

the

court

you

’re

going

to

Contact

the

court

to

talk

about

your

needs

or

if

you

need

any

other

help

Sign

language

You

can

usually

get

a

British

Sign

Language

BSL

translator

for

the

trial

if

you

find

it

difficult

to

understand

spoken

English

Ask

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

if

you

’re

a

victim

or

prosecution

witness

Ask

the

defence

lawyer

if

you

’re

a

defence

witness

Translators

If

you

do

not

understand

English

you

can

usually

get

someone

to

translate

or

interpret

the

trial

for

free

Ask

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

to

arrange

a

translator

if

you

’re

a

victim

or

prosecution

witness

If

you

’re

a

defence

witness

ask

the

defence

lawyer

if

you

can

get

a

translator

Preparing

to

give

evidence

Contact

the

Citizens

Advice

Witness

Service

to

help

prepare

for

the

day

Before

the

trial

they

can

show

you

around

the

court

so

you

know

what

to

expect

on

the

day

sometimes

called

a

pre

trial

visit

explain

the

court

process

and

who

’s

who

in

the

courtroom

come

to

your

home

or

anywhere

you

feel

safe

to

answer

your

questions

Your

statement

If

you

’re

a

victim

or

prosecution

witness

you

can

ask

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

to

see

your

statement

again

before

you

go

to

court

to

refresh

your

memory

You

can

add

things

to

your

statement

if

you

remember

them

later

on

but

you

can

not

withdraw

it

You

’re

a

victim

of

crime

As

well

as

the

statement

you

gave

the

police

when

you

reported

the

crime

you

can

also

make

a

victim

personal

statement

sometimes

known

as

an

impact

statement

This

can

be

read

out

in

court

You

can

include

information

about

how

the

crime

has

affected

you

physically

mentally

emotionally

financially

You

can

also

mention

any

worries

you

have

about

the

defendant

being

released

on

bail

When

you

give

your

victim

personal

statement

to

the

police

tell

them

if

you

’d

prefer

to

read

it

out

in

court

yourself

or

have

someone

else

to

do

it

for

you

The

court

will

decide

if

your

statement

will

be

read

out

in

part

or

in

full

Making

a

victim

statement

is

different

if

you

’re

in

Scotland

or

Northern

Ireland

Extra

support

in

the

courtroom

The

court

may

be

able

to

take

extra

steps

to

protect

you

if

you

are

under

have

a

mental

or

physical

disability

are

afraid

to

give

evidence

are

a

victim

of

a

sexual

offence

are

a

victim

of

other

serious

crimes

such

as

domestic

violence

or

attempted

murder

These

steps

include

screens

so

the

defendant

can

not

see

you

giving

evidence

by

video

link

from

somewhere

else

the

defendant

will

be

able

to

see

you

asking

the

public

to

leave

the

courtroom

when

you

give

evidence

if

the

case

is

about

a

sexual

offence

recording

your

evidence

in

front

of

a

camera

before

the

trial

having

someone

explain

the

questions

and

help

you

reply

to

the

court

an

intermediary

How

to

get

extra

support

If

you

’re

the

victim

or

a

prosecution

witness

speak

to

your

witness

care

officer

or

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

If

you

’re

a

defence

witness

speak

to

the

defence

lawyer

The

trial

judge

will

then

decide

what

support

will

be

made

available

to

you

The

day

of

the

trial

When

you

arrive

at

the

court

you

’ll

need

to

go

through

security

Tell

the

security

staff

who

you

are

and

that

you

’re

a

witness

or

victim

Someone

from

the

Citizens

Advice

Witness

Service

will

take

you

to

a

waiting

area

if

they

are

available

Waiting

to

give

evidence

If

you

’re

a

victim

or

prosecution

witness

there

will

usually

be

a

separate

room

where

you

can

wait

so

you

do

not

meet

the

defendant

or

their

family

and

friends

If

there

is

not

a

separate

area

speak

to

court

staff

they

can

make

sure

you

’re

safe

If

anyone

tries

to

intimidate

you

tell

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

your

solicitor

or

the

court

staff

they

’ll

report

it

to

the

police

You

might

have

to

wait

a

long

time

before

you

’re

asked

to

go

into

the

courtroom

to

give

evidence

You

might

not

even

have

to

go

in

at

all

for

example

if

the

defendant

changes

their

plea

to

guilty

Childcare

If

you

bring

a

child

with

you

make

sure

you

also

bring

someone

who

can

take

care

of

them

when

you

’re

in

the

courtroom

Help

and

support

on

the

day

Someone

from

the

Citizens

Advice

Witness

Service

will

be

at

the

court

and

can

go

with

you

when

you

give

evidence

support

you

on

the

day

the

verdict

and

sentence

are

decided

if

you

’re

in

court

listen

to

your

concerns

in

private

but

they

can

not

discuss

details

of

the

case

You

’ll

also

have

someone

who

will

translate

or

interpret

the

trial

if

you

arranged

it

beforehand

Young

witnesses

under

Talk

to

the

police

or

child

witness

care

officer

if

you

have

concerns

about

your

child

For

example

if

they

’ll

need

to

take

breaks

or

need

any

help

giving

evidence

Read

the

full

guidance

on

how

to

prepare

your

child

for

court

and

special

measures

that

are

available

Young

witnesses

can

get

support

and

find

out

what

to

expect

at

court

from

guidance

for

to

year

olds

guidance

for

to

year

olds

the

Citizens

Advice

Witness

Service

Childline

NSPCC

After

you

give

evidence

Citizens

Advice

have

more

information

about

what

happens

after

you

’ve

given

evidence

Expenses

for

going

to

court

You

can

ask

for

expenses

when

you

go

to

court

as

a

prosecution

witness

from

the

Crown

Prosecution

Service

CPS

defence

witness

from

the

defence

lawyer

Your

employer

does

not

have

to

pay

you

for

your

time

off

work

Ask

the

Citizens

Advice

Witness

Service

for

help

with

claiming

expenses

There

’s

a

different

process

for

claiming

expenses

in

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

Prosecution

witnesses

You

can

claim

for

expenses

from

the

CPS

They

’ll

pay

for

things

like

travelling

expenses

the

standard

or

class

fare

or

per

mile

if

you

drive

meals

and

refreshments

for

up

to

hours

or

for

to

hours

loss

of

earnings

for

up

to

hours

or

for

longer

or

if

you

’re

self

employed

childcare

up

to

per

day

If

you

’re

not

sent

an

expenses

form

before

the

trial

ask

for

one

from

a

court

usher

or

someone

from

the

Citizens

Advice

Witness

Service

Defence

witnesses

If

the

court

usher

does

not

give

you

an

expenses

form

ask

the

court

or

the

defence

lawyer

if

you

’re

able

to

claim

expenses

for

your

time

in

court