Social Security Act 1998

42Child support: appeals to appeal tribunals

For sections 20 to 21 of the Child Support Act there shall be substituted the following section—

“20Appeals to appeal tribunals

(1)Where an application for a maintenance assessment is refused, the person who made that application shall have a right of appeal to an appeal tribunal against the refusal.

(2)Where a maintenance assessment is in force—

(a)the absent parent or person with care with respect to whom it was made; or

(b)where the application for the assessment was made under section 7, either of them or the child concerned,

shall have a right of appeal to an appeal tribunal against the amount of the assessment or the date from which the assessment takes effect.

(3)Where a maintenance assessment is cancelled, or an application for the cancellation of a maintenance assessment is refused—

(a)the absent parent or person with care with respect to whom the maintenance assessment in question was, or remains, in force; or

(b)where the application for that assessment was made under section 7, either of them or the child concerned,

shall have a right of appeal to an appeal tribunal against the cancellation or refusal.

(4)A person with a right of appeal under this section shall be given such notice of that right and, in the case of a right conferred by subsection (1) or (3), such notice of the decision as may be prescribed.

(5)Regulations may make—

(a)provision as to the manner in which, and the time within which, appeals are to be brought; and

(b)such provision with respect to proceedings before appeal tribunals as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(6)The regulations may in particular make any provision of a kind mentioned in Schedule 5 to the Social Security Act 1998.

(7)In deciding an appeal under this section, an appeal tribunal—

(a)need not consider any issue that is not raised by the appeal; and

(b)shall not take into account any circumstances not obtaining at the time when the decision or assessment appealed against was made.”