Council Tax - Single Person Discount

richardb34

Hi...I understand it's possible to get a 25% reduction in council tax if you live on your own. Is there a definition of single occupancy? If I buy my own place, and I'm the sole name on the mortgage, but my partner comes to stay every weekend can I still claim single person's discount on council tax? My partner wouldn't be contributing anything towards the house and would only ever stay 2 nights maximum at weekends so it seems reasonable to me that I could claim the reduction but I obviously want to make sure I'm not doing anything illegal.

I'm only considering buying at the moment so this is more from a budgeting perspective than anything else.

Does anyone have any experience in this area?

Kind regards,
richardb34

Gwhiz

Just tell council you live on own and jobs done - 25% discount.

It's irrelevant that the GF may stay occasionally just as much as if friends/family stay over.

Mutton_Geoff

Does anyone have any experience in this area?

Just tell them you live on your own. They will hassle you a bit (like TV Licensing people) and try to remove it every year when they send the bill, but I sent a snotty letter to the council asking them to stop bothering me and in return I would invite them to the wedding should I ever decide to get married (neglected to offer them a "living in sin" option!).

There is plenty of other evidence if they need it, electoral roll etc, so just apply for the discount (phone or email) and start paying 25% less.

olly300

Gwhiz wrote: »

Just tell council you live on own and jobs done - 25% discount.

It's irrelevant that the GF may stay occasionally just as much as if friends/family stay over.

As stated.

If your council annoy you too much then deal with them via email. If they really get on your nerves print the emails out and send a formal complaint by recorded delivery to the Finance Officer of the local council.

They will soon leave you alone. In fact every time they contact you they will apologise.

markelock

I used to do it. didn't have a problem at all with the council, discount straight away, and only you will be on the electoral role.

the problem was getting rid of the girlfriend!!

angelavdavis

My OH checked when I first started staying over with his council (Horsham) and they said it was OK up to 3 days per week.

beingjdc

If it comes to it, the important thing is not that you can prove they don't live there, it's that you can prove they do live somewhere else.

bo_drinker

They will be getting a lot of applications soon I would say. A few pound saved etc etc. Just do it.

richardb34

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated :-) Seems straightforward enough - proving she lives elsewhere during the week wouldn't be a problem if ever it came to that as she rents and works down south during the week.

Thanks again

CIS

The case of whether she was resident for Council Tax purposes would be based on whether the property was he 'sole or main residence'. If the property is not her 'sole or main residence' and you are the only occupant then the single person discount still applies.

The 3 day's quoted by a council is irrelevant, a person can be solely or main resident in a property even if they spend very little time in it - case law has dealt with this on several occasions.

socrates

You can also get this backdated even if you have paid the full rate already.