Single person discount?

PhilBy_2

Can anyone advise please.

My son currently lives somewhere with a shared address and the post is not safe. 
He wants to start building a credit score so he can look at purchasing his own flat.
My sister is retired and has offered to let her use her address for post only.
She is in receipt of the 25% single person council tax discount. 
Will she lose this discount?
My son will be doing everything above board and will make sure my sister will not be out of pocket, but we are wondering if my sister could be still eligible for single person discount if the 2nd person will not be living there and just using the address for his post? 

Thank you. 

FlorayG

That will depend on if he is registered at his other address for council tax. If he is, then he doesn't 'count' twice, you are only responsible for one council tax. She can easily prove he doesn't live there if he has utility bills and council tax bills registered to his other address, even if they are actually posted to her address. I'm sure you can do this, because on the rare occasions my rental property is empty the council tax bills for it are sent to my home address. Also if you have a lodger who 'goes home' at weekends and is registered at their home address for council tax, you still get the single person discount; you only lose it if they have no other address

Alderbank

Two issues here.

1. Your sister is the only occupant at her home so is entitled to the discount. Doesn't matter what mail arrives or for whom.

1. Your son can have mail sent wherever he likes but that doesn't mean he lives there. He could have letters sent to his name at Buckingham Palace if he wishes.

I think you mean he wants to build a credit history, not a credit score.

Building a credit history means showing a stable and trustworthy history. He will be asked for his address which is the place he normally resides. People he has financial dealings with will expect him to act in good faith. Falsely claiming his auntie's home is his permanent  address will not help to build a credit history, quite the reverse.

He can tell people the truth? Tell them his address when asked for it but request that correspondence is sent to an alternative address? That is quite reasonable and what many people who live in blocks of flats with shared lobbies do.
It means they can confirm he is on the electoral roll, etc.

PhilBy_2

Alderbank said:

Two issues here.

1. Your sister is the only occupant at her home so is entitled to the discount. Doesn't matter what mail arrives or for whom.

1. Your son can have mail sent wherever he likes but that doesn't mean he lives there. He could have letters sent to his name at Buckingham Palace if he wishes.

I think you mean he wants to build a credit history, not a credit score.

Building a credit history means showing a stable and trustworthy history. He will be asked for his address which is the place he normally resides. People he has financial dealings with will expect him to act in good faith. Falsely claiming his auntie's home is his permanent  address will not help to build a credit history, quite the reverse.

He can tell people the truth? Tell them his address when asked for it but request that correspondence is sent to an alternative address? That is quite reasonable and what many people who live in blocks of flats with shared lobbies do.
It means they can confirm he is on the electoral roll, etc.

Thank you very much for the prompt reply and explanation. 

lincroft1710

FlorayG said:

That will depend on if he is registered at his other address for council tax. If he is, then he doesn't 'count' twice, you are only responsible for one council tax. She can easily prove he doesn't live there if he has utility bills and council tax bills registered to his other address, even if they are actually posted to her address. I'm sure you can do this, because on the rare occasions my rental property is empty the council tax bills for it are sent to my home address. Also if you have a lodger who 'goes home' at weekends and is registered at their home address for council tax, you still get the single person discount; you only lose it if they have no other address

Completely wrong, you can be responsible for CT at more than one address, as you in fact have stated regarding your rental property when it is empty. Only liable persons need to register, an adult child who lives with their parents but is not a co-tenant or co-owner does not need to register.