Council tax repayment

azalea2018

Hello

My dad died in 2017 without a will. We've completed the probate process and have recently had confirmation of the repayment owed to the DWP in relation to his pension credits. It was thankfully a very small amount.

With the DWP process completed, I'd like to know if we could distribute the majority of the cash. Keeping some back for paying the utility bills since we've not yet sold the house.

But I'm unsure if we should expect any other repayment requests. In particular, council tax. My dad was exempt from paying council tax but I don't know why. Should we expect any request for past council tax bills? Does anyone know of any other areas that may want to claim money from the estate?

Thank you for your advice.

Yorkshireman99

azalea2018 wrote: »

Hello

My dad died in 2017 without a will. We've completed the probate process and have recently had confirmation of the repayment owed to the DWP in relation to his pension credits. It was thankfully a very small amount.

With the DWP process completed, I'd like to know if we could distribute the majority of the cash. Keeping some back for paying the utility bills since we've not yet sold the house.

But I'm unsure if we should expect any other repayment requests. In particular, council tax. My dad was exempt from paying council tax but I don't know why. Should we expect any request for past council tax bills? Does anyone know of any other areas that may want to claim money from the estate?

Thank you for your advice.

You need to publish the statutory notices in the London Gazette and a local newspaper so any creditors can submit a claim. Have you checked that your father was entitled to the council tax exemption?

Keep_pedalling

As someone on pension credit he would have been entitled to the maximum CT reduction. I believe this can vary from council to council. When my mother was living in her own home it was 100%.

Larac

Have you contacted the Local Council to find out the position as they will advise whether any monies are owing?. Worth also checking how long from grant of probate they will allow an empty property to remain without paying council tax being due. When I contacted the Council to stop the CT on my Mums death in November 2017, they wanted to know who the executors of the estate were - keen to keep tabs!

azalea2018

Thank you Keep pedalling for clarifying why my dad would have received the exemption. Given the DWP requested a small repayment in relation to his pension credit, should we expect a similar request for the council tax?


Thanks Yorkshireman99 - there are no known creditors. But I'm wondering if there are similar debts like the DWP that we need to be prepared for.

Keep_pedalling

azalea2018 wrote: »

Thank you Keep pedalling for clarifying why my dad would have received the exemption. Given the DWP requested a small repayment in relation to his pension credit, should we expect a similar request for the council tax?


Thanks Yorkshireman99 - there are no known creditors. But I'm wondering if there are similar debts like the DWP that we need to be prepared for.

If, as it sounds like, the repayment was to take back any payment after death, or a small correction on the amount he should have been receiving this should not effect the CT reduction. If at any time he was getting the reduction when he was not entitled to any PC then yes there should be some to pay back

Larac

azalea2018 wrote: »

Thank you Keep pedalling for clarifying why my dad would have received the exemption. Given the DWP requested a small repayment in relation to his pension credit, should we expect a similar request for the council tax?


Thanks Yorkshireman99 - there are no known creditors. But I'm wondering if there are similar debts like the DWP that we need to be prepared for.

From my Mum's estate DWP wanted an over payment on the attendance allowance and two weeks overpayment on the state pension. I must admit DWP were on our case within a month of my Mums death.

Yorkshireman99

azalea2018 wrote: »

Thank you Keep pedalling for clarifying why my dad would have received the exemption. Given the DWP requested a small repayment in relation to his pension credit, should we expect a similar request for the council tax?


Thanks Yorkshireman99 - there are no known creditors. But I'm wondering if there are similar debts like the DWP that we need to be prepared for.

The whole point of the stautory notices is to confirm there are no unknown outstanding debts. If you really are sure that there are none then you can omit publishing the notices but remember that if any arise you, as executor, will be personally liable for them. It is not unknown for people to run up debts unkown to their family. Only you can deccide.

getmore4less

Your fathers council tax exemption ceases on death.

There is the class F exemption that can follow

Some councils are very hot on looking for ways not to allow that exemption.

Joint owners even with life interest trusts and wills that have specific bequests of property are two example where people have come up against a council refusing cLass F

YoungBlueEyes

My father died in nov last year, and I echo what Larac said. DWP were pretty quick (within a few weeks) to ask for overpayments of AA and old git pension. I did use the Tell Us Once service when we registered the death, so that's presumably what kicked them into action.

Did you use Tell Us Once?