Whether you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you are likely to have to pay some form of Council Tax but it can be a difficult subject for many people to understand. Everyone understands that they have to pay for it but they are not sure why.
There are several different discounts available to apply for but it all depends on the area that you live in! So, no matter how much you’re paying, you’ll want to make sure that you get offered the best deals! This blog will look at several different council tax discounts that are offered.
- Council Tax Explained?
So, you’re moving into your new home then you may be wondering how exactly council tax works?
Council tax is a taxing system that governments use where residents pay local income tax to their local council. It’s not something that you can avoid I’m afraid, council tax is used to look after your local services that you might need, like bin collection, maintaining parks and buildings. It can also be used to finance public services that are exclusive to the region and the tax can be used for the different services that provide security, emergency services, street cleaning and public transportation.
Not everyone pays the same amount and there are different ways to reduce your bill. This is known to be called ‘council tax relief’ and depending on your circumstances, there are several types of how much you will pay.
Council tax is an annual sum amount that is taken by your local authority, that can be divided up and you end up paying over 10 or 12 months. However, did you know there are several different discounts available that people can qualify for?
- The Different Discounts That Your Council May Offer You
So, as you know there are various ‘council tax discounts’ that can be offered to you by your local council, so that people with a low income can reduce how much they have to pay-out.
People can help you pay your council tax bill if you’re on a low income or claim certain benefits, for example Income Support. If you qualify, you may be able to get a discount on your council tax bill.
You can also get a discount if you’re a carer, a young person in full-time education, a refugee, a prisoner, a resident in a care home or a tenant of a social landlord. You can apply for a discount if you live in a specific type of property, for example a property that is in multiple occupation. Contact the council tax department of your local council for more information.
- Single Person Discount
- Apprentice
- Carer/Careworker
- Hospital patient
- Member of religious community
- Member of visiting forces
- Patient in nursing or care homes
- Person who is severely mentally impaired
- Prisoner
- School or college leave
- Full-time students
- Spouse of certain students
- Student nurse
- Young person still in receipt of child benefit
- Empty home discount
- How to apply for a Council Tax Discount?
It’s pretty simple to apply for a council tax discount, you just need to fill out a form and answer some basic questions, including financial information on your household, if you’re working or studying and your expenses.
Once the information is provided, your local council will make sure that you get an affordable amount of council tax based on your eligibility status.
- Understand what a Council Tax Band Means.
Council tax bands are a rating of your home and it is based on the size of your property. Each band has a different price range for the homeowner which is based on the average cost of the homes in the area.
Council tax bands are changed periodically, to reflect the true cost of living, so it’s important to understand what your band is, so you can budget your housing expenses!
- Assistance With Your Council Tax
Whether this is your first time moving or not, we can help with the assistance of your bills! We can sort out your council tax for you so you don’t have to worry about it at all, along with that we can sort out the rest of your bills. So, no more spending countless hours on the phone, submitting meter readings or filling in forms… sit back and relax, we can take care of it.
All you need to do is register your details and we will get in touch with you!
By reading this blog you will be able to learn more about council tax discounts. Knowing about council tax discounts can help you save money on your council tax. By applying for council tax discounts you will be able to get your council tax reduced. We hope that this blog has helped you get to know more about council tax discounts.
If you would like to check out more of our blog posts, you can check out the direct link here to all of them!
