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Am I eligible for single occupier council tax discount?

Hello,

I own a flat where all documentation is in my name. I moved out of this flat about a year ago as I got married but the new property is in my partner's name and I am not on any documentation with regards to ownership. However, we both pay council tax on this property.

For the flat, when I moved out, my sibling moved in with no change in ownership. As all documentation was in my name, I also decided to pay the council tax as a family member is residing in this property.

I have been availaing of the single person occupier discount as my sibling is the only person living in the flat as I have moved out. However, I have been informed by the council that I have to pay back in arrears the full 25% discount I received last year for the flat. Is this correct? If so, I guess I have no choice but to pay it. However, in order to avail of this discount going forward, should I change the council tax payment so it is under my siblings name?

Thank you

Comments

  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 18,950 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 25 April 2022 at 2:32PM
    As soon as your sibling moved into your flat the responsibility for paying the Council Tax became theirs. The council seem to have assumed that either you had moved out of the flat and it was unoccupied and thus the Single Person Discount would no longer be applicable or that your sibling had moved in with you and similarly the SPD was no longer applicable.


    The correct thing to do would be to inform the council of the date your sibling moved in and then he/she will be billed from that date and will be able to claim SPD. You will be refunded your CT payment back to that date. The not so correct (and more costly) thing to do would be to pay the 25% SPD and inform the council that your sibling has now moved into the flat. 

    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • penners324
    penners324 Posts: 3,517 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Contact the council to advise them who is the flat and from what date....

    The sibling will then get a bill for the whole year and you will get rebate for the whole year.
  • ssm90
    ssm90 Posts: 84 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Posts
    Great, thank you. I will do that.


  • RAS
    RAS Posts: 35,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    And remind your sibling to claim the single person's discount from the day they moved in.
    If you've have not made a mistake, you've made nothing
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