Reading a refusal letter: where to start

A refusal is upsetting, and the letter is rarely easy to read. It is often long, written in formal language, and quotes rules by number rather than explaining them. Before you reply, appeal or apply again, slow down and look for three things.

The date

Time limits for a review usually run from the date of the decision or the date you received it, and they can be short. Find the date on the letter, note how it reached you, and keep the email or envelope it came in. If the letter arrived late, that record can matter.

The reasons

Most letters list the requirements the decision maker thought were not met. Copy each reason onto its own line. Some will be about missing evidence, such as a bank statement that didn’t cover the right months. Others will be about how the decision maker weighed what you sent. The first kind is often easier to fix than the second.

Those reasons show what a review, or a fresh application, would need to address. They also show what not to repeat: sending the same documents again rarely changes the outcome.

Your options

Some letters explain whether a review is available, how long you have and where to apply. If yours doesn’t, ask an adviser straight away rather than guessing. Depending on the route, the choices can include asking for a review, making a new application with better evidence, or, occasionally, doing nothing until your circumstances change.

What to bring us

Before we meet, gather these together:

• The full refusal letter, every page

• A copy of the application and documents you sent

• Any emails or letters you received while it was being decided

With those in front of us, we can usually tell you in one meeting whether a review is worth it, and what it would cost.