Using parents address for post

WevieS

Hi there... I'd be very grateful for some advice with this. I've tried Googling but haven't found anything completely helpful.

Please let me explain my situation...

I work as a self-employed technical manager for UK and European theatre companies.
Up until 2014 I was married and living in Germany for five years.
Then I got divorced to my German wife.
I began using my parents’ address as my postal address for banking, tax and other purposes (inc. voting).
I never actually lived there.
I just needed somewhere for my post to go after I lost my house in Germany.
Since this time I’ve spent on average 8-9 months of the year traveling with my work in the UK and abroad.
When I haven’t been working I would either stay with family and friends or more usually rent myself short-term accommodation in different countries.
For instance at present I have a holiday home in Portugal where I stay in-between jobs.
However for the last month I have been staying at my parents’ house.
My Mum was diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago.
She has been in a hospice since April and for the last month I have been visiting her and helping my father.
Mum passed away last week and I am now assisting Dad with all the arrangements.
Due to this change in my father’s circumstances he has received a letter from the council saying that he may be entitled for a single occupant discount to his council tax.
I hadn’t considered this before but I’m now concerned that they should have included me on their council tax from when I began using their address.
Because I don’t actually live in their house (what few personal things I have are in Portugal) the thought hadn’t occurred to me.
This is now causing me a lot of distress.
As I mentioned at the top of the post I’ve tried Googling to understand this situation in the past two days but can’t find anything that specifically relates to it.
I was hoping someone here might have an idea of where we stand with this?

Fingers crossed and thanks in advance for your help!

calcotti

If you are not living there you do not need to be included. If the fact that you receive correspondence is discovered questions may be asked so it would be sensible to keep any documentation you have that confirms your movements.

To avoid any doubt, when he applies for the single person discount, your father may wish to advise the council that you use the address as a postal address.

The above assumes that you are not intending to stay once you have provided your father with the immediate assistance he needs.

Had you been living there previously it wouldn't have made any difference to the council tax liability while your mum was alive anyway.

WevieS

Thanks for your swift reply.
I think that's a very good suggestion to inform them about my use of the address for post.
Yes as soon as I'm happy that everything is sorted for Dad I'll be back into travel mode in a couple of weeks time.

calcotti

I thing that I think might help when people are in this situation is if they get their correspondence addressed as c/o the address. Unfortunately when address information is being provided online it’s difficult to do this.