Section 17: Determination of claims

17. Determination of claims (1) Every claim for an allowance shall be submitted forthwith to an awarding officer who shall allow or disallow it. (2) Where an awarding officer has disallowed a claim, the claimant shall be informed in writing of the reasons for such disallowance. (3) Where a claimant is dissatisfied with a decision of an awarding officer he may appeal to an appeal tribunal within one month of the notification of such decision or within such further time as the Chairperson of the appeal tribunal may allow. (4) The claimant and the awarding officer shall be entitled to be heard by the appeal tribunal and the claimant may be represented by any other person, but, for the purpose of discussing the case, the tribunal may require all persons who are not members of the tribunal to withdraw. F3 – 5 [Issue 1] (5) The decision of the majority of the appeal tribunal shall be the decision of the tribunal, shall be in writing and shall include a statement of the facts on which such decision is founded. (6) The decision of the appeal tribunal shall, as soon as possible, be communicated to the claimant and to any other person who appears to the tribunal to be interested in such decision.