Paper hearing

You can choose to have a paper hearing once your case is ready to be judged by an Appeals Service tribunal.

The tribunal is made up of two people not connected to North Somerset Council or Liberata and it will decide whether we have made the correct decision about your benefit.

You do not attend a paper hearing and all the evidence you have provided will be heard by the tribunal which will then send you its decision.

The tribunal can only judge your case on the evidence before it and you should use the form we will send you with the appeal papers to add any more information which you think will help your case.

Do not delay sending this information as you will not be told the date of a paper hearing.

If the tribunal thinks its needs to see you then it can refuse your request for a paper hearing and ask you to attend an oral hearing.

If you choose a paper hearing but change your mind you can choose to have an oral hearing instead but you must inform the Appeals Service immediately of your change of mind.