Council tax reduction while deployed?

[SnapSnafu]

Anyone know how to access this? Doesn't seem to be through local council.
We became aware of it last month, when it was announced that the relief was to be doubled to 50%, and dh says it was in budget that it's going up to %100.
Not the same thing as not living at the address/single adult discount/Council Tax Benefit.

DH is a full time reserve who deploys about 4 months a year... not paid through usual military source. Maybe this is why we haven't heard of it before/haven't got it.

Can anyone point us in the right direction to find out?

I'd phone your nearest Army Welfare Service to find out.

Loop, do you recognise what I'm talking about?
And does RAF have a similar thing to AWS?
Thanks.

I've never heard of it and certainly never benefited from it when DH was deployed - is this new?

CAB link here

and

Budget change here

Apparently not that new, and as my dh has been away for about 4 months in each year since 2007, all to places in the CAB link, I think we could be due a sizeable rebate, if we can only figure out how.
(Hope those links work!)

We recieved a refund of our "charge in lieu of council tax" at the end of tour, it was lumped together with the Afghanistan bonus. We obviously live in SFA so I don't know how you'd claim it if you lived in your own house though I'd assume you're still eligible.

Ah thank you loubie, reassuring to hear it exists. I think he'll have to contact his pay people to progress it then, if it comes via pay.

You do get it if you live in your own accommodation but it is based on an average rate, not a direct refund iyswim.

Thanks, WeCan, that makes sense, but it's finding out how to get it we're struggling with. Well, I am. He's in theatre at the moment so maybe he can sort it out from there.

I think it might be through the family welfare officer. Does that sound possible?

I heard about it for the first time this last week but can confirm it's not accessed through the local council. I've also never known payments to be received from the MOD so I'm guessing the army give you the money and trust you put it towards the council tax bill.

DH has had to put a claim through JPA - so wouldn't your DH do it the same way he would claim for any other expenses? I think you'd be right to go via the pay people rather than welfare.

He works for a non-forces organisation, and is paid through them, but that may be who he can claim through, if indeed he is eligible (but something I read suggested reserves are). He deals with JPA for something - maybe they used to claim through them - his organisation used to be part of MOD but is now part of BIS (I hope I haven't outed him!). His service is RAF, not Army.

Thanks girls, will pass on to him between opmins :-( - been bad this week.

Saw this on another site

www.aff.org.uk/army_family_life/housing/council_tax.htm#ctr

Just copied this from the NFF newsletter:

How is this claimed?
Payment is at the daily rate of CTR and is claimed by the Service person as a lump sum, following the end of their period of duty in the qualifying location, via their HR admin staff