Turned down for council tax rebate - Help?

RUTHIEC

:rolleyes: We found out yesterday we have been declined for council tax rebate because we did not appeal within 6 months. We have been in our house for 8 years and only found out like everyone else in the past month that you can appeal. The council is prepared to revalue the house to reband us going forward. Can someone please advice me on how best to word our appeal? Thanks Ruthie

kforshaw

Is it benefits you've been declined for or a Council Tax revaluation?

RUTHIEC

It was revaluation that we were turned down for because we didn't apply within 6 months of buying our house.

jennifernil

That is correct, you can only challenge the banding within 6 months according to the rules in Scotland. This has always been the case. I'm not sure where all this new stuff about challenging it has suddenly come from. I think you would have to show that a serious error has ocurred.
Now that the bandings for all homes are freely available on-line people can see more easily how they compare with others. But you do have to do your homework on this and have a really good comparison to make. Within the 6 months it is easier to get them to look at it and you are entitled to appeal to the tribunal, but after the 6 months you have to prove them wrong I reckon.

shopndrop

jennifernil wrote:

That is correct, you can only challenge the banding within 6 months according to the rules in Scotland. This has always been the case. I'm not sure where all this new stuff about challenging it has come from. I think you would have to show that a serious error has ocurred.

Is it only Scotland that has the time limit of 6 months or does it apply to anywhere in UK?

nelly_bell

I wrote a letter to the Assessor's office last week asking for a re assessment of our council tax as I discovered (thanks to this web site) about the difference in banding. In 1993 our house was banded F along with our neighbours. One of the neighbours had just bought the house for over £80,000 (the bottom end of the grade) therefore we thought we would be turned down for appeal and didn't bother. Unknown to us, 3 of our neighbours appealed and were downgraded to an E (including the neighbour who had paid the £80,000!!). Today I had a visit from a woman from the Assessor's office and she told me that we would have the band reduced to E from F. She was unsure when this would kick in or if it would be back dated as we should have appealed at the time (Scotland again). I asked why the council didn't inform me when my neighbours had their's reduced and she said that 'they had considered contacting people but the task would be too great'. I am livid! Both with my neighbours and the council. I will wait until they come back to me with a final answer but I am considering taking legal action as I feel that they failed in their duty to inform me that I was in the wrong banding.