Questions about Council tax single person discount review.

susansue

I found the following in the National fraud initiative 2020 report. It helps with some answers:

The annual NFI match between Council Tax and Electoral Register data to tackle Council Tax single person discount (SPD) abuse has once again provided substantial returns for councils. Outcomes from the 2018/19 and 2019/20 exercises are £43.9 million (37,000 SPDs cancelled) compared to £32.6 million reported for the 2016/17 and 2017/18 exercises (30,343 cancelled). This is an increase of 34.7%. The majority of outcomes come from matching individuals in receipt of a council tax single person to electoral register data (83.6%). The HMRC information sharing pilot generated £2.8 million additional overpayments from matches that provided information on individuals residing at an address, accounting for 24.6% on the overall increase to council tax outcomes. There has also been success from the new mandatory data match introduced in 2016/17. All SPD claims are now matched against the wider range of NFI datasets to again obtain more information about the individuals residing at an address. This resulted in the identification of 1,130 incorrect claims for single person discount and approaching £1 million overpayments which are similar levels to 2016/17. The optional enhanced Council Tax SPD service introduced in 2016/17, that combines both public and private sector credit reference agency data, has also achieved good results identifying £3.2 million overpayments by the 17 councils that purchased the service. This service is available in addition to the mandatory annual matching and is charged for on a per record basis.

Other sources show that this type of data matching is very lucrative for the providers, and that Capita charge by results.

Georgef112

Hi, newbie here.

 I was wondering if someone could help with the single person discount review.

 I had this taken away from me and I did not notice. The council did a review and I did not notice or indeed the changes in the bill as a result of paying by direct debit. To be clear I was entitled to the discount for this which was in excess of 8 years and. An demonstrate this. 

As a result I wanted to know whether  Is it possible to claim a refund from the council. I am clearly not very good at checking bills. 

Thanks

Alice_Holt

Georgef112 said:

Hi, newbie here.

 I was wondering if someone could help with the single person discount review.

 I had this taken away from me and I did not notice. The council did a review and I did not notice or indeed the changes in the bill as a result of paying by direct debit. To be clear I was entitled to the discount for this which was in excess of 8 years and. An demonstrate this. 

As a result I wanted to know whether  Is it possible to claim a refund from the council. I am clearly not very good at checking bills. 

Thanks

     On what grounds was it removed ?

     What have your council said when you approached them about reinstating the discount, and a possible refund?

Georgef112

Hi

Basically they state that they did a review in the form of a letter asking whether I was still entitled and I didn't respond and they therefore took it away.  I subsequently didn't notice hence the current situation.

On my correspondence with the council they have stated that info supported review, however I think they may have just sent a letter to everyone.  The bill was on a direct debit hence I didn't notice and I assumed it was up to me to tell them if anything changed. 

They have stated they can only refund for the current financial year and that's their policy. 

Thanks for help