Overpaid council tax, council kept excess.

f1millerman · 3 April 2014 at 8:38PM

Hi folks,
Hope someone can help, somehow the proof for a student discount application was lost on the way to the council/or by the council. The first I knew was noticing over £300 was missing from my bank account at the end of march. I have received this 25% discount for the last 2 years as son No 1 is at uni. I contacted the council (fenland district council cambridgeshire) and resubmitted the claim, the fdc reinstated the claim but kept the money and without asking have taken it off the 2014-2015 total.Personally I cant afford to lose £330 in one unexpected hit, haven't budgeted for it. One question, can they legally do this, and have I any right to claim that they refund it as it is causing financial hardship. Cheers

km1423 · 3 April 2014 at 9:00PM

Write to them and appeal their decision. In fact follow their appeals process.

Provide them with all the documents to prove your son was away during the said period. You may not receive the full year, but something is better than nothing. If you don't ask you won't get, and they won't offer.

If you have proof that you posted the documents, then all the better.

For future, when you submit documents, ask for a follow up with a letter to acknowledge all paperwork that has received. Allow them 14 days to process your request.