Do council tax bill forms show discounts ? 13 March at 6:09PM edited 13 March at 6:10PM in Benefits & tax credits 9 replies 239 views

BensonBooga

My elderly mother has just been sent new updated prices for council tax coming 1st April (it is the year ahead forms, showing payments from 1st April to 1st January 2024). She pays £147 for band C as her husband, my dad, died last September so her monthly bill went down from £197 to £147 which is the correct 25% discount. The new forms she just got says prices for band C are increasing to £206 a month, which means a massive jump of £49. Now I am presuming this is not showing her 25% discount, but is that just the forms that don't show it, or for some reason they have likely forgotten about the 25% discount ? So simply speaking, should the discount be seen on those forms ? Thought someone here might know if they just got their forms through. 

She was just about to accept it as she knew they were going up, but I have just told her there is no way they would increase organically by 25% in a month. So I want to check up for her. Normally when I have rung places like this they keep you holding for hours, so wanted to ask here first if it is a known thing that discounts are not shown on forms.  

Many thanks. 

geordiejon

it looks like that will be the new total without your discount as councils could only put up prices by 5%.
if she pays by direct debit she should have a letter giving the payments if it is on the letter you received then it looks like they have forgotten about the discount so get in touch with them.

oldernonethewiser

Do the council have an online portal where you can check these things?

I get a paper copy plus all the details are avilable on my account online.

poppy12345

The bill should show the 25% single person discount.

calcotti

geordiejon said:

it looks like that will be the new total without your discount as councils could only put up prices by 5%.

A few number of councils are doing much higher increases.

Is what she has seen simply some general information or it is her personal bill. If the latter that will show whether or not the 25% discount has been applied.

BensonBooga

Thanks all. It seems to be a personalised bill. It has a reference number on and says "Council Tax Bill for the Financial Year 2023/2024" on the top. It then breaks down the fees in to Dorset Council (£1481), Adult Social Care Precept (£213), Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner (£249), Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Authority (£75) and then the name of her village (£38), with final amount totalling up to £2057. Then at the bottom it shows each month going forward with a £206 beside it. Normally she pays £147 a month, I could understand that going up a bit but £206 seems far too drastic a jump surely, she used to pay £197 when her husband was alive, so £197 to £206 would make more sense, but it is as though the discount has suddenly been forgotten. I know I will contact them to find out for sure, but if others see discounts on their yearly forms then I know there is a mistake. I thought perhaps these discounts are applied separately afterwards so just don't show up on the forms. 

Robbie64

It's possible that the single person discount hasn't been applied so she should query this. An average 5% increase over 10 months and without a SPD would take the monthly bill from £197 to £206.85. With the SPD a 5% increase would be about £154.

In addition councils often allow payments to be made over 12 months rather than 10 which could help bring down the monthly payment.

MikeJXE

My first bill didn't show anything other than the council tax amount until I contacted them 

Now mine shows the discount

Lookup what the band should be then reduce it by 25% 

BensonBooga

MikeJXE said:

My first bill didn't show anything other than the council tax amount until I contacted them 

Now mine shows the discount

Lookup what the band should be then reduce it by 25% 

Thanks. Yes, it is missing the 25% discount, but I wondered if the bill should show the discount or is it just automatically applied ? Would you have still got the discount if you hadn't contacted them ? 

MikeJXE

BensonBooga said:

MikeJXE said:

My first bill didn't show anything other than the council tax amount until I contacted them 

Now mine shows the discount

Lookup what the band should be then reduce it by 25% 

Thanks. Yes, it is missing the 25% discount, but I wondered if the bill should show the discount or is it just automatically applied ? Would you have still got the discount if you hadn't contacted them ? 

I'm entitled to the discount as I live alone

I moved on February 3rd  from a 2 bed flat to a 1 bed flat Band B to band A

Obviously a reduction in the rate so I expected a refund instead of the bill I got

This was before the new pricing was out so I checked it against the old pricing, I couldn't believe they hadn't carried the discount on. 

I actually went into the council offices and got it sorted, received another bill still not right, eventually after 3 attempts they succeeded 

So yes you need to tell them as the council tax bill  does show the discount and how the direct debits are worked out