Council Tax Reduction

[Ohcrikeybigmistake]

I think I’m in the shit big time. Sorry for the language. Genuinely, genuinely had no clue.

DH pays the CT Bill & the way his dyslexia affects him means he interprets language wrong. Shit.

It seems council tax bills are now means-tested. But back in 2016 when we were first discounted, they weren’t.

We never applied. I categorically never did. I started receiving PIP and the bill back then automatically reduced. And from that moment until now all bills have been reduced.

Cue a housemove and I have learned that despite my PIP now being increased to full rate for both daily rate and mobility, because my husband salary has increased, and he didn’t tell them, we should not have received the discount.

Fuck.

So basically we owe 9 years of £2k a year = £18k. 😭 I’m waiting for surgery, our daughter has already lost the home she knew, shit.

Presumably I can send in our tax returns and get them to calculate a definite figure?

All advice welcome please.

Yep, we did get a fourth party involved (legal assistance via a house insurance) and we got the amount that the CAB and DWP said we owed significantly reduced.

If you knew DH struggles with bills are you now handling them all? If not the switch over and review them all asap.

While you’re waiting for the debt to be calculated take as much action as possible - put whatever money you can aside and see where you can making savings elsewhere. Council tax is often referred to as a ‘priority debt’ because action is usually taken much sooner than for other debts if not repaid, and councils often apply for an attachment of earnings if necessary. However they would prefer a reasonable repayment plan to taking action, as long as you stick to it.

Speak to charities such as Christians Against Poverty (they’re great and despite the name not particularly religious, you don’t have to be Christian and they won’t try to convert you) and step change for help with repayment plans and budgeting, especially if you have other debts.

So as it was significantly reduced, were none of those original overpayments due to your own error? If DWP reduced them when challenged they obviously took partial error responsibility- but what remained must have been evidenced as claimant error? Did you not go through the mandatory reconsideration/appeal process? You said you used legal assistance via house insurance. You wouldn't have needed to claim on any insurance if you successfully challenged even part of the overpayments via MR/appeal. It doesn't cost anything and doesn't require legal representation.

We were advised as to what terminology to use regarding a full and proper investigation as we were repeatedly fobbed off regarding full and proper investigations around our many requests for cancellations and terminations of CTV and WTC payments, resulting in overpayments.

What I don't understand is how council tax reduced your tax bill without your signature - none of the reductions in tax have your signature or your dos signature on the claims - so you haven't agreed to the terms and contains of the tax relief

The council tax department have agreed that you didn't apply for this tax relief - they just gave it to you.

Id not talk, but write to them - for your records. I would suggest to them that they have messed up as this is unauthorised benefits, they have reduced your council tax without your permission and what are they going to do about it?

Keep obviously paying the council tax on your new place but I wouldn't accept a SPA (special arrangement for paying arrears) and for now sit back and give this shit show back to them