Only people over 18 can be made to pay
the bill. If there is more than one person over 18 living in your home,
the owner will normally have to pay the bill. Joint owners and married
or unmarried partners may have to pay even if their names are not on
the bill.
Can I reduce my bill? You may get a reduction if someone living in the house has
a disability. Apply to the council for this. Only some properties will
qualify. Contact a local advice agency.
You may get a discount if:
you are the only adult in the house
you share your house only with people
who are not taken into account, such as a full-time student, or student
nurse, someone on a youth training scheme or someone with a mental
disability who is getting certain disability benefits.
Tell the council if you think you may qualify for
a discount.
You may be able to claim Council Tax Benefit if
you are on a low income with less than £16,000 savings or you
are on Income Support, Job Seeker's Allowance or other benefits.
You may be able to claim a rebate called Second
Adult Rebate if you share your house with someone on a low income who
does not pay rent and is not your husband, wife or partner, and you
don't already get a discount for them.
What happens if I don't pay? The council will usually tell you to pay your bill in
10 monthly instalments but they may accept weekly payments. If
you find you can't pay the full installment don't just stop paying:
If your circumstances have changed apply
for Council Tax Benefit.
Keep paying what you can afford.
Contact the council and try to
come to an arrangement. Use your personal
budget to help explain your situation.
Liability Orders If you don't keep to any payment arrangement you make with
the council they will ask the Magistrates Court to make a Liability
Order for the full amount plus court costs. The Order states that you
are due to pay your Council Tax and have not done so.
The court must make the Liability Order unless:
the council has not gone through the
proper procedures
you have paid the amount owed
the name on the summons is wrong.
If one of these applies to you, tell the council
immediately and attend the court hearing. You should get 14 days'
notice of the hearing.
Because of the council's powers to make you pay
Council Tax you must treat it as a priority debt. If you can't pay the
full amount:
claim Council Tax Benefit
check the bill has been worked
out correctly
contact your council and make an
arrangement to pay
pay what you can afford
if you have credit debts, use your
personal budget
to arrange reduced payments to those creditors.
