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Council Tax Benefit?

I finished university in June but my tenancy agreement on my house there ran until September. I have just received a council tax bill saying I need to pay council tax from June to September, but I have been unemployed since I finished university. I phoned up the council asking if I could claim council tax benefit but they told me they can't help because I'm not living there. Is this true and if it is, is there any help I can get? All of my other housemates are still students so are exempt and it's a large bill when I only have £53/week JSA.

Comments

  • catz1ct
    catz1ct Posts: 828 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    When did you actually leave the property?
    :rotfl:
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 15 November 2011 at 7:34PM
    You can only claim CTB on a property in which you are resident not a property you were previously resident in. By not claiming at the time you've almost certainly lost out - you can appeal but ignorance of the system is not deemed to be good cause for not claiming.
    is there any help I can get? All of my other housemates are still students so are exempt and it's a large bill when I only have £53/week JSA.

    If you've vacated and they are still resident then your not liable for the council tax. When did you leave ?.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • CIS wrote: »
    You can only claim CTB on a property in which you are resident not a property you were previously resident in. By not claiming at the time you've almost certainly lost out - you can appeal but ignorance of the system is not deemed to be good cause for not claiming.

    although someone on here sucessfully got backdated benefit recently despite the reason being not knowing about entitlement..
  • CIS
    CIS Posts: 12,260 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    although someone on here sucessfully got backdated benefit recently despite the reason being not knowing about entitlement..

    They've been very lucky without further mitigating circumstances.
    I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.
  • indeed they have!very odd.
  • mealone
    mealone Posts: 527 Forumite
    500 Posts
    skater_kat wrote: »
    although someone on here sucessfully got backdated benefit recently despite the reason being not knowing about entitlement..

    But most of us dont believe a word they say and the rest are half way to disbelieving her ;)
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