People claiming Single Person Discount on their council tax in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse will shortly be asked to confirm whether they are still the only adult living in their property and therefore entitled to continue to receive the reduction.
Incorrectly claiming this discount can be considered council tax fraud. More than 35, households across the two districts currently claim to be occupied by a single person and are receiving the 25 per cent discount. To ensure everyone is paying the correct rate of council tax South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will send letters to the registered council tax-payer at many of these properties, requiring them to confirm the current occupancy.
Anyone who fails to respond in time risks losing their entitlement to the discount. The councils regularly carry out checks to ensure that only those who are genuinely entitled to the discount receive it. Anyone who claims the discount but has others living with them who are aged 18 or over who are not already disregarded for council tax purposes, such as students or carers, could be committing council tax fraud and could face the serious risk of prosecution.
This could result in them receiving a fine, a criminal record or potentially more serious consequences if the fine is then not paid. National Insurance calculator Income tax calculator Council tax calculator. All 7 calculators. Do your tax return online with Which? Use our jargon-free calculator to complete and securely submit your tax return direct to HMRC.
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Buying a home. How to buy a house The cost of buying a house Finding the best place to live. All 14 guides. Selling a house. How to sell your house The cost of selling a house How much is your house worth? Single Person Discount can be awarded following a claim for benefit, if it is evident from that claim that there is only one adult occupying the property as their main home.
We need this information to enable us to fulfil our duty to keep the Authority's records up to date. If you have any change of circumstances and you are unsure whether they will affect your entitlement please ask. How do I claim? How long will the discount last? The councils say the law allows them to contract out this function.
Peter Wood, a spokesman for Bristol city council, refused to discuss Dodds's case in detail, and declined to say what appeal options were open to Bristol residents caught up in her situation.
In a statement, he said: "To resolve situations where customers claim they are still entitled to a discount, we would request evidence of the present address of any named third party in order to support their claim.
This evidence must be in the form of an official document. It is important to note that financial data held by credit agencies does not include addresses used purely for the delivery of post. The financial data relates to addresses where individuals live, or where they say they live.
Only a very small number have been backdated as far back as ," he added. Experian's website was more forthcoming. It says if you are no longer linked to a person who is registered to your address, you should contact it and explain the situation.
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