Council Tax Reduction

[Wilsan]

Good evening All

 

I am not currently claiming any benefits, but wish to apply for a council tax reduction.

 

Do councils use the national insurance number to go check earnings with the DWP as part of the application process? 

 

Cheers 

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

Could I ask please for what reason you want a council tax reduction? It will help us to advise you.

 

Best, HB

[Wilsan]

Thanks honeybee and good evening to you.

 

Yes, I am having trouble paying my council tax bill and would like a reduction to avoid additional charges and the debt collection route.

[honeybee13]

I can't say I've heard of this scenario getting the council to reduce the bill, but here's some information from the CAB.

 

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/help-with-your-council-tax-council-tax-reduction/council-tax-reduction-making-an-application/council-tax-reduction-who-can-apply/

 

HB

[Wilsan]

Thanks HB

 

I don't understand your comment. You have linked to an article on council tax reduction, but are saying that you have not heard of it?  

 

My question: when councils process CTR claims, do they contact DWP to check PAYE earnings?

[honeybee13]

I was saying that I haven't heard of unaffordability being a reason for a council tax reduction and posted a link that gives some examples of when it's possble.

 

What are your grounds for claiming a reduction please? Hopefully we can advise once you tell us.

 

HB

[dx100uk]

they check HMRC records.

 

how do you gauge you are entitled to a reduction?

limited earning are not normally considered a reason for reduction unless you are receiving certain benefits.

 

most council have the application form or atleast list the criteria you must meet to receive a reduction, if you don't meet the criteria, you are not entitled to it.

 

sites like entitled.to , if you complete their questionnaire will inform you of any new/addition benefits you are entitled too and if CTR is applicable to your situation.

 

 

 

[Wilsan]

thanks DX, I appreciate your response.

Due to the pandemic, central government has allocated additional money to councils for council tax reduction, targeted at working age people who may not be eligible for other benefits.  

 

I think the pandemic has produced many homes who are not eligible for any universal credit, but who can demonstrate no income or savings, and therefore cannot pay council tax - so they need help! 

 

For example, my household was rejected for universal credit because we were waiting to see if furlough would be paid, and so we have been forced to get all our food from the food bank and are penniless.

[honeybee13]

So if you have no income, as I understand it you should be eligible for council tax reduction.

 

Have a look at your local council's website.

 

HB

[honeybee13]

I've moved your thread to the Local Authority forum and left you a link to follow from the Benefits forum. Please continue to post here.

 

HB

[unclebulgaria67]

You will have to complete a benefits form, where you will confirm all of your financial information including your employment income.  The Council will ask you to send in last number of months wage slips ( or self employment accounts) and also Bank statements   When you sign the form, you are stating that the information supplied is accurate and you will be consenting to the Council conducting any anti-fraud checks if these are ever required.

 

Each Council will have their own Council Tax reduction scheme. As far as I know, there is no  English/Scottish/Welsh Council standard way of operating these tax reduction schemes,

 

If you visit your local Councils website, you should be able to find their Council Tax reduction scheme details and possibly the Benefits form that needs to be completed.

[unclebulgaria67]

2 hours ago, Wilsan said:

For example, my household was rejected for universal credit because we were waiting to see if furlough would be paid, and so we have been forced to get all our food from the food bank and are penniless.

 

Can you please expand on this.   Who rejected and why ?

 

Normally you would apply for Universal Credit, state that you were employed, your expected pay would be £x per year or per month and if all of your information (ID, Bank details, Housing, Children) is verified, the claim would proceed.  Obviously, if your employers were not paying you or were paying a reduced amount, then UC would not receive any earnings information or a reduced earnings amount from your employers via HMRC.  You would then receive a UC award based on whatever earnings were actually reported.

 

If you actually made the claim and it was closed without payment, then you can submit a complaint, if you believe an error occurred. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure

[Wilsan]

Thanks for both your replies UB. 

 

I believe there are hundreds of thousands in the UK in the same position as me: not employed for many years - therefore never 'became unemployed' -  and so ignored for benefits by the DWP for all that time. 

 

My largest overhead is council tax and I want to do something about it now.

I'm pretty sure I am going to be totally screwed when it comes to collecting a state pension at retirement age too, but hey-ho.    

[unclebulgaria67]

In your earlier post, you said you were rejected for Universal Credit, as you were waiting to see if you would receive furlough money. 

 

And your latest post talks about not being employed and therefore never became unemployed.

 

What this sounds like, is that that there was some form of self employment.    Not sure if this was the case, why this would have caused issues with benefit claims. Universal Credit is a benefit for people either  in or out of work.   If you started a UC claim, they ask for details of Self Employed Income & expenses at the end of the first monthly assessment period of the claim and at the end of each assessment period thereafter.  They ask for basis details of income and expenses.  They ask about HMRC SEISS money, but if this was zero, you would enter zero.

 

Use a benefits calculator to check entitlement to UC and other benefits.

 

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

 

 

The HMRC help for self employed details is in this link   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme

 

 

 

 

[honeybee13]

This is from the CAB link I posted at the beginning of your thread. I think you may need to speal to the council.

Discretionary reductions

Under council tax legislation, your local authority has the power to reduce or cancel your council tax bill, even if you're not exempt from paying or entitled to a discount or reduction. This power is called discretionary, because your local authority can choose when, if and how to use it.

This power is normally only used in exceptional cases.

 

HB