STUDENT discount on council tax???

cazzybabe

Hi,
I hope someone can put me straight, i'm sure i cant claim, but today i was told by someone to contact my local council regarding council tax. I am now a 'student' studying at college for only 2 hours per week.....would that satisfy the council as me being a student and therefore give me a discount.
As i said previously - i really cant see it working - but is it worth a try???
Thanks

CIS

You need to be studying for 21+ hrs per week, unfortunately. We get a lot of enquiries from our local college that we have to turn down for people in a similar situation.

cazzybabe

Thanks CIS,
I thought it would be too good to be true..... I take it the study time would have to be 21 hours actually AT college as oppose to 2 hours there and 19 hours studying at home and in the workplace.
Thanks again.

Nicifer_noonoo

cazzybabe, yes it's 21 hours in the classroom. I do 21 hours in the classroom and 19 at home...unfortunately nobody counts the at home bit, heh.

CIS

The regs do allow for study time but the university/college must certify the course as being F/T under the regs. There are other conditions also, but the one about the Hrs is the main one.

cazzybabe

Too right Nicifer_noonoo, I spend hours and hours on this course.
Good luck in your studies, I'm off to college now,
Cazzybabe

CIS

It doesn't have to be 21hrs in the college/uni but if the Uni/College wont state the course is F/T then you would have a hard time arguing it out with the council

The Council Tax (Discount Disregards) Order 1992

4.—(1) A full-time course of education is, subject to subparagraphs (2) and (3), one—

• (a) which subsists for at least one academic year of the educational establishment concerned or, in the case of an educational establishment which does not have academic years, for at least one calendar year;

• (b) which persons undertaking it are normally required by the educational establishment concerned to attend (whether at premises of the establishment or otherwise) for periods of at least 24 weeks in each academic or calendar year (as the case may be) during which it subsists, and

• (c) the nature of which is such that a person undertaking it would normally require to undertake periods of study, tuition or work experience which together amount in each such academic or calendar year to an average of at least 21 hours a week during the periods of attendance mentioned in paragraph (b) above in the year.

Murdina

when I was in that position 2 years ago, the college automatically issued a certificate to me to pass on to my council tax dept. Have you asked if yours does this?

Nicifer_noonoo

I've just had a battle on my hands to get this certificate, and the SU say that it DOES technically have to be 21 hours in the classroom as that's what the council (might be different for yours) class as full time, whereas some universities class full time as 16 or 18 hours. If they write a letter just saying that you are full time, and not stating the hours if you meet their criteria and not the councils, you 'get away with it' (their words, not mine!). Fortunately I just met the criteria for my council.

CIS

Fortunately I just met the criteria for my council.

The criteria is identical for all councils as per the Discount Disregards order 1992 and they are supposed to apply it as stated with no variance.

The SU are technically incorrect - the time can include study time outside of actual attaendance but the Uni would need to take that in to acct when they set your hrs as F/T.

No offence to the SU but they aren't dealing with Council Tax cases as a job and probably never been made aware of the actual wording of the legislation but as I stated above without the Uni backing it up with a student cert you wont get the disregard/exemption.

Neither me or my colleagues would award one if the person claimed to be studying more then 21 hrs but the Uni wouldn't back it up.

Murdina

my course was a phd - there are NO classroom hours - so surely cannot be right?