A CRU certificate lists the social security benefits, and some lump sum payments, that the person paying your compensation must repay to the Department for Work and Pensions. You or the compensator can ask the Compensation Recovery Unit to review it at any time. After the claim has settled and the compensator has paid the CRU, ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of that payment, then appeal to the tribunal within one month after the mandatory reconsideration notice is sent. An injured person can appeal only if their compensation was reduced under section 8 of the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997.
When compensation and certain benefits are paid because of the same accident, injury or disease, the compensator, usually an insurer, has to repay those benefits and any recoverable lump sum payments to the DWP through the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU). The CRU issues a certificate showing how much, and sends a copy to the injured person or their representative. The compensator can reduce some parts of your compensation to take account of what it repays, but no reduction can be made on account of general damages.
This guide explains how to challenge a certificate you think is wrong, who can appeal and the time limits, based on GOV.UK guidance and the law as of 28 September 2026. It covers England, Scotland and Wales, with a note on Northern Ireland. It is general information, not legal advice. Our guide to compensation and benefits explains how recovery works.
What the certificate covers
The Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997 applies where a person makes a compensation payment because of an accident, injury or disease and listed benefits have been, or are likely to be, paid during the relevant period. That period is the five years after the accident or injury or, for a disease, the five years beginning with the first claim for a listed benefit because of it, and it ends earlier if a compensation payment is made in final discharge of the claim. Before paying compensation, the compensator must apply for a certificate of recoverable benefits, and it is liable to repay the total amount shown.
The compensator can reduce your compensation only against the matching heads in Schedule 2 to the Act: compensation for earnings lost, for the cost of care and for loss of mobility during the relevant period. It must tell you about any deductions. A lump sum payment for certain dust related diseases can also affect the amount of compensation.
The steps and time limits at a glance
Each step has its own rules. The dates depend on when the compensator paid the CRU and when later notices were sent.
| Step | Who | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Review | The compensator, the injured person or either's representative | At any time, in writing with reasons |
| Mandatory reconsideration | Anyone who wants to appeal, once the claim has settled and the CRU has been paid | Within one month of paying the CRU |
| Appeal to the tribunal | The compensator, or an injured person whose compensation was reduced under section 8 or 8A | Within 1 month after the reconsideration notice was sent |
| Late appeal | As above | In time within 12 months if no respondent objects; never more than 12 months late |
| Statement of reasons | Any party | Within 1 month of the decision notice |
| Permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal | Any party, on a point of law | Within 1 month after the later of the decision notice and the written reasons |
CRU certificate deadline checker
Indicative only. It applies the GOV.UK recovery of benefits guidance and the Social Entitlement Chamber tribunal rules, and moves tribunal deadlines that end on a weekend or bank holiday using GOV.UK bank holidays for 2019 to 2028. It is not legal advice. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Asking for a review
The compensator, the injured person, or either party's representative may ask the CRU to review any aspect of a certificate at any time. The request should be in writing, give the reasons why the certificate is thought to be wrong and include any helpful evidence. GOV.UK lists the grounds as a certificate issued in ignorance of, or based on a mistake as to, a material fact; a mistake in preparing it; incorrect or insufficient information from the person who applied for it; or any ground of appeal.
The CRU then confirms in writing that the certificate is correct, or revokes or changes it and issues a fresh one. It cannot increase the total unless the person who applied for the certificate supplied incorrect or insufficient information. You can ask for a review before your claim settles.
Mandatory reconsideration after settlement
Since 28 October 2013, the CRU must be given the opportunity to reconsider its decision before an appeal can be made. Once the claim has settled and the compensator has paid the CRU everything due under the certificate, ask the CRU for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of that payment. If your request is late, the CRU may ask you to explain why.
Guide Z2 says to include all medical reports and any surveillance evidence obtained by both sides, any statements or other material served for the claimant, the particulars of claim, and the documents from both sides confirming the settlement. The CRU then decides whether the certificate should be changed with a partial refund, revoked with a full refund or confirmed as correct, and explains its decision in writing in a mandatory reconsideration notice.
Who can appeal, and on what grounds
Section 11 of the 1997 Act allows an appeal by the person who applied for the certificate, normally the compensator, and, where the compensation payment was calculated under section 8, by the injured person or other person to whom the payment is made. GOV.UK says an injured person must provide documentary evidence, such as the consent order, that a section 8 deduction was made.
This matters when you settle. GOV.UK warns that where a claim is settled on a global basis, without deductions under section 8 or 8A, the injured party is not a party to any appeal, and if the recoverable benefits are later reduced the refund goes to the compensator and is not passed on. Where your compensation was reduced under those sections and an appeal succeeds, the compensator must recalculate your award and make any necessary refund to you.
An appeal must rely on one or more grounds: an amount, rate or period in the certificate is incorrect; benefits paid for something other than the accident, injury or disease have been counted; benefits that have not been, and are not likely to be, paid during the relevant period have been counted; or the payment was not a compensation payment within the Act. No appeal can be made until the claim has been finally disposed of and the compensator has paid the CRU; an award of provisional damages counts as a final disposal.
Appealing to the tribunal
Send your appeal in writing directly to HM Courts and Tribunals Service, within one month after the date the mandatory reconsideration notice was sent to you. The CRU sends two copies of the notice, one to send with your appeal, and the notice tells you where to send it. Form SSCS3, the notice of appeal against a CRU decision, can be used. Under the tribunal rules, a time limit that ends on a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or bank holiday runs to the next working day.
A tribunal judge and a medically qualified member hear the appeal, looking at the evidence, the law and the circumstances when the CRU made its decision. At an oral hearing an injured person can bring a representative and call a witness; a paper hearing is decided without anyone attending. If the appeal succeeds, the CRU revises its decision and issues a fresh certificate. If it fails, ask for a statement of reasons within one month of the decision notice, then ask the tribunal for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal, which hears appeals only on a point of law, not about questions of fact or a tribunal's medical findings or conclusions.
Northern Ireland and NHS charges
Northern Ireland has its own Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU NI), and benefits are repaid to the Department for Communities. nidirect says that if you do not agree with the information on the certificate, you, or someone with authority to act for you, can ask the Department to look at the decision again, and appeals are made under article 13 of the Northern Ireland order. The dates in the checker apply only to England, Scotland and Wales.
NHS charges for hospital treatment and ambulance services are a separate scheme: the person making the compensation payment is liable to pay them, and certificates of NHS charges have their own review and appeal procedures. For more on deductions, see what compensation covers and how compensation is paid.
Frequently asked questions
Can I appeal a CRU certificate myself?
Yes, if the compensator reduced your compensation under section 8 or 8A of the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, or under the lump sum rules, and you can show it, for example with the consent order. If your claim settled without such deductions, only the compensator can appeal, although you can still ask the CRU for a review.
How long do I have to appeal a CRU certificate?
First ask for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of the compensator paying the CRU. Then appeal to the tribunal within one month after the date the mandatory reconsideration notice was sent. A late appeal can be treated as in time if no respondent objects, but never more than 12 months late.
Can I challenge a CRU certificate before my claim settles?
Yes, by asking the CRU for a review, which you can do at any time, in writing, with your reasons. You cannot appeal until the claim has been finally disposed of and the compensator has paid the CRU.
Can benefits be deducted from my compensation for pain and suffering?
No. GOV.UK says no reduction can be made to compensation on account of general damages. Recovered benefits can only be set against the matching heads for lost earnings, cost of care and loss of mobility.
What happens if a CRU appeal succeeds?
The CRU revises its decision and issues a fresh certificate, and the relevant amount is refunded to the compensator. If your compensation was reduced under section 8 or 8A, the compensator must recalculate your award and make any necessary refund to you.
Contacts and official sources
- Compensation Recovery Unit, reviews: [email protected], or the phone number on the letter the CRU sent you
- CRU dispute resolution team and reviews: [email protected]
- HM Courts and Tribunals Service: form SSCS3, notice of appeal against a Compensation Recovery Unit decision, on GOV.UK
- Compensation Recovery Unit Northern Ireland: details on nidirect
Related guides: compensation and benefits, what compensation covers, special damages, how compensation is paid and compensation and tax.
Official sources used for this guide: GOV.UK: Recovery of benefits, lump sum payments and NHS charges, technical guidance; DWP guide Z2: mandatory reconsideration and appeal; Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, section 11; Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Social Entitlement Chamber) Rules 2008, rule 22; nidirect: compensation recovery. This guide is general information about the law in the UK, not legal advice; the law can change, so check your own position with a regulated solicitor.