Council Tax single person discount (SPD)

cannonballdaze

Hi, I live on my own in Wales and claim the 25% discount. A friend uses my address as a mailing address only. She rarely visits, never stays overnight and I give her the mail around once a month.

Now the local council have queried whether she lives here and are questioning my SPD.

I've confirmed to the council that she doesn't and has never lived here. She lives in a camper van and I've told them this.

I don't feel I should give them any more info but they're pressing me for this.

How do I respond? What are my rights?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thx - Joe

Brie

Can she provide proof of where her campervan is and that she's "always" been living there.

eskbanker

cannonballdaze said:

A friend uses my address as a mailing address only.

But does this sometimes involve her actually claiming to live there?  In some circumstances, it can be made clear that an address is being used solely for correspondence, but if there are businesses who believe that she lives there, this is likely to be reflected in credit files, etc, which can in turn be accessed by other organisations needing to verify ID.

elsien

cannonballdaze said:

Hi, I live on my own in Wales and claim the 25% discount. A friend uses my address as a mailing address only. She rarely visits, never stays overnight and I give her the mail around once a month.

Now the local council have queried whether she lives here and are questioning my SPD.

I've confirmed to the council that she doesn't and has never lived here. She lives in a camper van and I've told them this.

I don't feel I should give them any more info but they're pressing me for this.

How do I respond? What are my rights?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thx - Joe

What else are they asking for, and is there a reason you don’t want to share the information given that you are doing your friend a favour which is not intended to land you in it? 

Emmia

Perhaps your friend could switch to using (and paying for) a PO box instead? 12 months for the Royal Mail collection service (i.e. your friend collects from them) is £371.40. It's a bit more if they'd want stuff delivered to them.

https://www.royalmail.com/receiving/po-box

Or perhaps they could pay the 25% SPD you're possibly losing. 

Andy_L

cannonballdaze said:

Hi, I live on my own in Wales and claim the 25% discount. A friend uses my address as a mailing address only. She rarely visits, never stays overnight and I give her the mail around once a month.

Now the local council have queried whether she lives here and are questioning my SPD.

I've confirmed to the council that she doesn't and has never lived here. She lives in a camper van and I've told them this.

I don't feel I should give them any more info but they're pressing me for this.

How do I respond? What are my rights?

Any advice gratefully received.

Thx - Joe

Your rights are to receive the single person discount, your corresponding obligation is to demonstrate that only a single person is living there.

As elsien asked, what is the info they're asking for & why don't you feel you should give them it?

cannonballdaze

Thx, I want to protect her privacy. There are many reasons that someone may not want mail delivered to an address where others may pry,

Emmia

cannonballdaze said:

Thx, I want to protect her privacy. There are many reasons that someone may not want mail delivered to an address where others may pry,

I'm not sure it's prying, the council think (for whatever reason) your friend lives at your address (is she on the electoral roll at your address?) but you're asserting she doesn't.

So you either need to explain the situation to them with enough information to hopefully continue with the SPD or stump up the extra 25%, to avoid the explanation and protect your friends privacy.

MyRealNameToo

cannonballdaze said:

Thx, I want to protect her privacy. There are many reasons that someone may not want mail delivered to an address where others may pry,

What does she say? If I was going to be costing my friend an extra £250-£500 a year or so for them doing me a favour I'd be happy with them disclosing details. 

There are reasons, some of them good and some nefarious but either way there are solutions from firms for that. 

Where is her camper van registered to? What's her mailing address on her insurance?

flaneurs_lobster

MyRealNameToo said:

cannonballdaze said:

Thx, I want to protect her privacy. There are many reasons that someone may not want mail delivered to an address where others may pry,

What does she say? If I was going to be costing my friend an extra £250-£500 a year or so for them doing me a favour I'd be happy with them disclosing details. 

There are reasons, some of them good and some nefarious but either way there are solutions from firms for that. 

Where is her camper van registered to? What's her mailing address on her insurance?

Is your friend paying Council Tax?

Emmia

flaneurs_lobster said:

MyRealNameToo said:

cannonballdaze said:

Thx, I want to protect her privacy. There are many reasons that someone may not want mail delivered to an address where others may pry,

What does she say? If I was going to be costing my friend an extra £250-£500 a year or so for them doing me a favour I'd be happy with them disclosing details. 

There are reasons, some of them good and some nefarious but either way there are solutions from firms for that. 

Where is her camper van registered to? What's her mailing address on her insurance?

Is your friend paying Council Tax?

If they're living in a van, travelling around... Probably not