The Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) Tribunal deals with disputes about:

• Income Support; Jobseeker's Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit; Employment Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• and Retirement Pensions.

It also deals with disputes about:

• Child Support; Tax Credits
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)/ Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
• Compensation Recovery Scheme/ Road Traffic (NHS) charges
• Vaccine Damage
• and decisions on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

Our aim is to help you through your appeal and explain to you, step-by-step, the procedure of an appeal.

You can get a copy of the leaflets about our appeals procedure from any HM Courts & Tribunals Service office listed on our 'contact us' page, or by telephoning our Customer Leaflet Hotline on 08700 852611. If you have hearing difficulties you can telephone Typetalk on 18001 08700 852611. Calls are charged at national rate.

The Customer Leaflet Hotline should be used only to request copies of our leaflets. If you have a query, please use 'Venue Finder' to find your local office where staff will be happy to help you.

The Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) Tribunal is part of HM Courts & Tribunals Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. The tribunal consists of two bodies within a single organisation:

• An independent appeal tribunal function (constituted as a tribunal non-departmental public body) with responsibility for the judicial functioning of appeal tribunals. This function is headed by the Social Entitlement Chamber President.
• An executive agency with responsibility for the administration of appeals. This function is headed by the Chief Executive of  HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

We arrange independent hearings for appeals on decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions (including Jobcentre Plus, Child Support Agency and Disability and Carers Service), as well as other government departments (HM Revenue and Customs) and local authorities.

Appeals are determined by independent tribunal panels whose decisions cannot normally be changed other than by way of a further appeal to the Upper Tribunal.

Appeals are heard at our tribunal venues and are processed at eight operational sites throughout Great Britain.

We have a purpose statement that describes what we seek to do:

"To bring together the parties to the appeal, and the judiciary, with all appropriate resources for the fair and independent delivery of decisions. We will do this in a way that best meets the expectations of all parties to the appeal and the demands of the public purse."