Council Tax Empty Property Exemption Help

pimento

We are in the middle of a protracted house move.  We sold our house (completed) back at the beginning of November and went into a rented house to break the chain.  We completed on our purchase in the middle of February and have been doing up the new house with the intention to move in as soon as our flooring went down just before Easter.
We have been given 60 days council tax exemption as our new house isn't habitable and that comes to an end in a couple of weeks but now of course, we are stuck and unable to move.
The flooring company have closed for the duration of the lock down and we are also unable to find a removal company willing to move us (assuming we would move into a house with no flooring at all).  We are unable to move ourselves for various reasons.
Is there any chance that the council will extend our council tax exemption, do you think?  Or will I just be wasting a phone call when they are obviously busy/short staffed.
We're now having to pay for two lots of bills and council tax and there's no end in sight..

MrsPepperpot

I think that you should ring them, as they may extend the exemption. Just be patient with the time you may have to wait 

CIS

MrsPepperpot said:

I think that you should ring them, as they may extend the exemption. Just be patient with the time you may have to wait 

Is there any chance that the council will extend our council tax exemption, do you think?  Or will I just be wasting a phone call when they are obviously busy/short staffed.

Very unlikely to happen as the periods of the exemption in Wales/discount in England has to be set by the council and can only be extended by use of the correct procedure. The council does not have the power to extend it on a case by case basis.

valleyboy22

I Live in Wales and we got flooded in febuary and living in tem accomodation. We had a year exemption, but hopefully will not need this.

CIS

valleyboy22 said:

I Live in Wales and we got flooded in febuary and living in tem accomodation. We had a year exemption, but hopefully will not need this.

That was either the Class A exemption (which can be for up to 12 months) or a discretionary payment under S13A(1)(c) to the level  of the council tax charge (the discretionary relief is intended to be used for flooding etc). The Class A exemption no longer exists in England.

7Phil

Not to deter from the advice you've received above but it will depend on your local council. Doubtful anyone will be able to give you accurate advice unless they really know about the same council as you.

I don't think it's a waste of a phone call. I would try any avenue you can pursue right now so give it a shot.

CIS

7Phil said:

Not to deter from the advice you've received above but it will depend on your local council. Doubtful anyone will be able to give you accurate advice unless they really know about the same council as you.

I don't think it's a waste of a phone call. I would try any avenue you can pursue right now so give it a shot.

As the same legislation applies to each council and it's not a discretionary power to vary how it applies, then, apart from any S13A(1)(c) discretionary relief, every council should be applying exactly the same legislation to the same situation.

hydraman

We have a small holiday chalet in Kent. We have already paid our FEES for the year and are about to have our Council Tax bill for the 10 month seasonal charge. I understand that there is an exemption under the rule below:-

G)	A dwelling whose occupation is forbidden by law, or which is kept unoccupied because of impending compulsory purchase.

So as the Government has forbidden the use of "holiday homes" and we have all been put under "house arrest"/lock down does this entitle us to a discount for all the months that we are denied access to our property?