Single person council tax discount review

[Louisarap2]

Hi I have received a strange letter stating that a question has arisen on my claim for a single person council tax reduction- I have only claimed this for a few months- I've been eligible since 2014 but didn't realise I could apply for it.
Anyway im wondering if this is the norm? Do councils routinely send these kinds of letters? The only thing linking me and my ex is car insurance but it clearly states we live at different addresses and the only reason I have him on there was because it made it cheaper for me.
He has his own address- he lives with his mum, he doesn't work and he doesn't claim any benefits (he has a drug problem to be quite frank with you)

i often have to transfer him money so he can spend time with the children and I always put the reference 'for the children'. I don't understand why I have received this letter? Am I being investigated?
im really worried even though I feel like I've done nothing wrong, I know these council officials like to make mountains out of mole hills.
i claim some housing benefit and council tax support, and I do get working tax credit, will all my money be stopped while they investigate? I only earn £120 a week, I'm freaking out!
thank you xx

[Kati]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

to LB I'll tag [MENTION=15129]Crazy council[/MENTION] and [MENTION=92682]lgfa92[/MENTION] for you ... hopefully they'll be able to give you some pointers xx

[Louisarap2]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

Thank you, that's really kind of you x

[Kati]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

Thank you, that's really kind of you x

just sit tight and try not to worry, I'm sure one of them will be along soon xx

[warwick65]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

I think they do this routinely , my OH had one- probably because one of the neighbours said something . However a quick call saying i live alone and it was left as it was.

Try not to worry

[Diana M]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

Who's on the Electoral Register as living at your address?

I live alone (by choice I hasten to add ) but the council questioned whether I was a singleton.

Explore whether you can apply retrospectively for the Single Person Exemption (you say that has been the case since 2014) and whether you may be entitled to a refund of council tax which you've paid if you've possibly overpaid it for the last three years.

Di

[lgfa92]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

Hi I have received a strange letter stating that a question has arisen on my claim for a single person council tax reduction- I have only claimed this for a few months- I've been eligible since 2014 but didn't realise I could apply for it.
Anyway im wondering if this is the norm? Do councils routinely send these kinds of letters? The only thing linking me and my ex is car insurance but it clearly states we live at different addresses and the only reason I have him on there was because it made it cheaper for me.
He has his own address- he lives with his mum, he doesn't work and he doesn't claim any benefits (he has a drug problem to be quite frank with you)

i often have to transfer him money so he can spend time with the children and I always put the reference 'for the children'. I don't understand why I have received this letter? Am I being investigated?
im really worried even though I feel like I've done nothing wrong, I know these council officials like to make mountains out of mole hills.
i claim some housing benefit and council tax support, and I do get working tax credit, will all my money be stopped while they investigate? I only earn £120 a week, I'm freaking out!
thank you xx

A local authority will run regular checks, usually annually regarding most discounts and exemptions which have been claimed. They also run the national fraud initiative checks every two years but I don't think it's running at the moment. Local Authorities also run checks on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction to some extent.

The most likely reasons are that they have either found some information when doing a review, usually via credit searches and other available records, or because someone has said something to them and they're investigating to check the discount is correct and you're the only resident adult.

Most of the credit and database based searches will pull up linked details and flag them as possibles. If he's associated with your address then they've probably found the details on a search and flagged it for investigation - I used to get lists of matches to work through and investigate.

The best way is to contact the council, advise them of his name and the rough dates of when he left and where he's living now. The council can then come back to you if they have any other queries.

Craig

[lgfa92]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

In respect of Single Person discount backdating there's nothing to prevent it being backdated, even to 2014, as long as you qualify for it.

Craig

[Wylderose]

Re: Single person council tax discount review

Hi Louisa

Single Persons Discount (SPD) is the extra 25% off your council tax bill that is granted because you live alone as a single adult in the property.

A lot of SPD reviews are generated as a result of data matching exercises that are run by the Department for Works and Pensions in what is known as their National Fraud Initiative. The council also runs them regularly. What normally happens is that someone claims a benefit, but instead of giving their actual residential address (for whatever reasons they have - maybe they are living rough or as we so often hear "sofa surfing", they will give an address of convenience (a mailing address). If the DWP run a data crossmatch for an area, anomalies such as the following throw up:

1. More than one person being registered on the voter's roll at the address
2. Bank accounts in more than one person's name at the address
3. More than one person claiming benefits from the same address but no partner being listed

If there is a possibility that there could be more than one adult living in a property where SPD is applied they feed that information back to the council who send out an SPD Review letter. If you are living alone then there is nothing to worry about. Providing a written statement, stating that you moved into the property on xxxx and that you live alone, is usually more than enough. Back it up with a tenancy agreement if you need to. If you had a partner at any time who is no longer there, give the date when they left as you would be entitled to SPD from that point in time, and an address for them - they can check this. Ask as well if this is enough information to satisfy their Review. If not, what other information they require. Sometimes someone who lived there before you moved in may not have registered to vote at their new address and this could be what has prompted the review.

These reviews are usually easy to clear up, but don't ignore the letter, thinking "well I live alone so I don't need to reply", because your SDP will be removed and losing 25% CT Reduction is a lot of money to have to find if you live alone.