PAY LESS COUNCIL TAX
It’s April. And suddenly in England, Scotland, and Wales your bank account is dented by the first of the ten monthly payments of council tax. So a quick reminder about not paying more than you need.
If you live alone then you get a quarter off your council tax. It is not means-tested. Just a straight 25% off. And you can be counted as alone even if there are other people living with you. Anyone under 18, full time students, apprentices, and some carers do not count. It can be backdated for as long as you have been alone. In Northern Ireland anyone aged 70 or more and living alone gets 20% off their rates.
If you or someone who lives in your home is disabled your council tax could be reduced by about a sixth. To qualify your home must have an extra room or an adaptation which is essential for the disabled person. If your home is in Band B-H it is moved down a band. If it is already in the lowest band A the tax is cut by a sixth.
If another adult lives with you who is neither your partner nor a tenant but is over 18 and has a low income then you can get a discount off your council tax. If their income is less than £228 a week you get 7.5% off; if it is less than £175 you get 15% off and if they are on means-tested benefit then you get 25% off. It is called alternative maximum council tax benefit.
If your own income is low and you are the householder then you may get your council tax cut. How much you get off will depend on your income, your savings and your age. The rules are slightly more generous from this month and the amount you will get increases when you reach women’s pension age (60 and a few months in 2010/11) and again when you reach 65. So if you have been refused before it is worth applying again, especially if you have reached one of those ages. Check if you can get council tax benefit at www.entitledto.com.
You apply for all these discounts through the local council which sends your bill. There should be a contact number on the bill you were sent.
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