Council Tax - Single person discount

lbonline

Hoping someone can help me on this. I'm in the process of buying my first house, I am in a long term relationship but my partner's parents are not well so she is staying at home for the foreseeable future. I was told that councils offer a 25% discount to single occupiers but sometimes require evidence? Has anyone got any experience of this i.e. how difficult is it to arrange and what I should prepare myself for in advance if at all possible?

Cheers
LB

00ec25

lbonline wrote: »

what I should prepare myself for in advance if at all possible?

either
a) prepare to commit fraud and work out how best to cover it up
or
b) prepare to sign a document making a truthful declaration

council tax liability is based on whether a property is a person's main home. Yes occupation is a factor, but sleeping at the parents whilst looking after them does not necessarily mean your place has ceased to be your partner's main home.

there is a host of documentary evidence that a council could look at, the question obviously is will anything cause them to do so?

The norm is if you claim SPD they ask you to sign a declaration saying you are the sole occupant. They will not challenge that or force you to prove it at time of application, or later, unless someone reports you for fraud and they decide to investigate.

So, the question remains, does anyone have enough grudge against you to report you to the council (and are they intelligent enough to know how to?)

read these, understand the principles applied across the UK, decide for yourself how they apply to your partner in her circumstance, and then answer a) or b):
https://lgfa92.co.uk/council-tax-occupancy-sole-main-residence/

https://www.gosport.gov.uk/sections/your-council/council-services/council-tax/sole-or-main-residence/

lbonline

Thanks for the response, very helpful indeed. Obviously I'd much prefer my partner move in with me so we can split the bills 50/50 and I wouldn't have to worry about these things (it would have also been helpful to have her saving with me to get a better property but such is life). I saved up
the deposit myself, got the mortgage myself, will be paying all the bills myself as well. Until such time she is able to join me that is. My aim is not how to cheat the system, I just didn't want to apply for something that I wasn't applicable for because I was in a relationship and after reading through the information you provided it all seems fine to me.

CIS

At the moment as it's a new property it could not be her 'sole or main residence' until she has spent some time resident there - once the property does become her 'sole or main residence' then temporary absences would not remove the property as being her residence. The fact you are in a relationship does not have any direct bearing on the situation.

IanManc

lbonline wrote: »

Hoping someone can help me on this. I'm in the process of buying my first house, I am in a long term relationship but my partner's parents are not well so she is staying at home for the foreseeable future. I was told that councils offer a 25% discount to single occupiers but sometimes require evidence? Has anyone got any experience of this i.e. how difficult is it to arrange and what I should prepare myself for in advance if at all possible?

Cheers
LB

It is a simple question of fact.

If she's still living at home with her parents then you qualify for the discount.

if she moves in with you, i.e. she's living with you and just visiting her parents; and all her stuff is at yours because she's moved house to live with you, she's paying half the bills, and she takes herself off the electoral register at her parents' and puts herself on it at yours because that's where she lives, then you don't qualify.

it isn't complex, so don't overcomplicate it.