Student House - being made to pay council tax

windra

You are 100% classed as a student from the time you start your course to the time you graduate.
I live full time in the city where i go to uni,away from parents,i went to the council when i moved here with a letter showing i was a student,this was a year ago,and sinse then all my bills have said i owe nothing,even over the summer.

It is also true that you cannot claim job seekers allowence, i wanted to get a job this summer but couldnt find one and was out of money, but they said my student loan should cover the summer too,which is a bit stupid as £3500 is not nealy enough for 12months.

My advice would be to walk into your local council centre,and sort it out face to face,usually they are really busy but this will work to your advantage as they just want to get you through quickly.

If they argue with you then tell them you have been refused job seekers for being a student and tell them they either give you job seekers or cancel the council tax...they cant argue over that.

kpie

Can you claim council tax benefit if you're a student?
I live with my other half who graduated in July, & I'm doing the final year of my course this year.
We've been given the 25% off, but its still quite a lot when you're living off limited means. My other half is currently temping, so we're not really very financially secure & one less bill to pay would be great.

Wiggynut

kpie wrote: »

Can you claim council tax benefit if you're a student?
I live with my other half who graduated in July, & I'm doing the final year of my course this year.
We've been given the 25% off, but its still quite a lot when you're living off limited means. My other half is currently temping, so we're not really very financially secure & one less bill to pay would be great.

i think you just get a discount as one of you isn't a student.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Educatio...lege/DG_071488
If you live in with someone who’s not a full-time student

Council Tax is charged per ‘dwelling’ or household, and each household gets a single Council Tax bill.
If there’s someone in the household who’s not a full-time student the household will get a bill, but may qualify for a discount on the full amount.

unfortunately, it's not based on temping and not being a secure job.. I wish.. .I've done lots of temping jobs so I know how that feels!!!!

rjm2k1

Wiggynut wrote: »

I've lived in shared houses before with half students/half non students.. the students didn't pay council tax! only the non students did.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/LifeAtUniversityOrCollege/DG_071488
If you live in with someone who’s not a full-time student

Your own link basically says that students would be equally responsible for the bill if sharing with non-students, thought the overall bill may be at a reduced rate but still split between ALL the occupiers. It's perfectly ok for the non-students to agree not to expect the students to pay but there is no legal protection from being held accountable should the non-students not pay and the non-students will end up paying more than if they were sharing with other non-students.

Best plan is do not share with non-students.

Wiggynut

rjm2k1 wrote: »

Your own link basically says that students would be equally responsible for the bill if sharing with non-students, thought the overall bill may be at a reduced rate but still split between ALL the occupiers. It's perfectly ok for the non-students to agree not to expect the students to pay but there is no legal protection from being held accountable should the non-students not pay and the non-students will end up paying more than if they were sharing with other non-students.

Best plan is do not share with non-students.

well, if you all have your own seperate tenancy agreement rather than sharing with a partner/friends then I think you can talk to the landlord and make sure the student doesn't pay anything!

o_c99

My understanding is you should not have to pay any council tax as you are a full-time student. In this instance, the council have given out the wrong information. I would not worry about this too much as my sister and her flatmates (all students) have been in the same situation three years on the trot! They would send out proof of their student status annually, yet still receive a demand then final demand for payment on council tax. It frustrates me that this happens year after year to so many people! :mad:

The best thing you can do is:

1) Seek advice from your university. They may give you another certificate proving your student status.

2) Take the certificate(s) in person to the local council office (they will have another copy!). Face-to-Face often results in them dealing with your query quicker, rather than sending letters or even the phone. (Don't forget to take any names of people you speak to in case they make another mistake!!).

3) Visit the Council's website, and look at the section under council tax. There should be a section within this on 'Exemptions & Discounts.' Print off any information regarding students and exemptions.
(See this link for an example from Ealing Council: http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/council/council_tax/discounts_and_exemptions/people_excluded_from_assessment.html )


Best of Luck!