Kirklees Council belittling my minimalist lifestyle

[Wizardry24]

AIBU to think Kirklees Council is being completely unreasonable over Council Tax?
Moved into my property in May, but Kirklees Council started charging me double Council Tax from April, claiming the house is empty—because I haven't used enough electricity.
I've submitted:

• Bank statements
• NHS letter
• Electoral register confirmation
• Yorkshire Water bill
• Payslip
• Mobile data upgrade (1GB → 50GB)

Still, they say:

• “You don’t even have a TV licence at your new property.”
• “You’ve only used £60.77 in electricity.”

Is that not completely invasive? It genuinely feels like my lifestyle is being picked apart and dismissed for being low-impact. I do live there—and I’m paying Council Tax. Yes, I know the council’s struggling financially (they’ve got a massive budget hole and millions in unpaid Council Tax), but this just feels unfair. Targeting people who do pay seems like the wrong way to balance the books. Has anyone dealt with something like this? What documents finally worked to prove your property was occupied? Thanks for reading—and sorry for the long post!

That's disgusting. People are lighting their homes with candles because they are poor or dare not risk a huge bill. Also woodburners are a thing in winter. I'd love a woodburner and candles.

Do you have another property?

Why are they charging double if they think it’s empty? Is that a thing?

I hope someone comes up with an answer. Short of sending in a video of you entering/ leaving the property every day!

This seems truly bizarre - I live in Kirklees, and have never had to prove any of this. Why would they think you didn’t live there? They can’t be checking every property, so something must have indicated you don’t live there.

I’m guessing your home was empty
for a while before you moved in. Not a criticism! I will say that council tax get a lot of people trying it on. I’d suggest making a formal complaint.

Contact your local councillors and your MP and ask for their help and support since you are being harassed.

Not wrong OP. You’d think those council employees had nothing else to do. I walked through a working area of a council a few years ago. The slow pace at which they were working was an eye opener. No sense of urgency. Absolutely plodding. I work in the private sector by comparison so know what a days work involves, compared to County Hall employees.

@Wizardry24 This sounds absurd as set out but I think that since Councils were given the power to charge double for empty property there's been a lot of attempted jiggery pokery by owners trying to avoid it.

Can Kirklees Citizens Advice help?

Where does Kirklees Council think you live? Another property?

Have ypu got another property?

Where do.they thi k.you live?

Thank you so much for your comments and advice—really appreciate the support.
This is actually my first property, and I’ve been paying Council Tax since the day I purchased it. Prior to this, I lived abroad and was always in rented accommodation. I came back to the UK permanently after my mum suffered three consecutive strokes, which turned what I thought would be a short visit into something more long-term.
I felt I needed my own space, so I bought my first home. The property was empty for a year, and I continued paying Council Tax throughout that time—only later did I learn about the premium for unoccupied homes. I paid the premium until I moved in.

Kirklees thinks it is not my sole residence and my low usage of electricity proves this.

Are you saying the property was owned by you for a significant period of time but it was empty?

I think she is, but is also saying that she paid the double council tax for the period it was empty.

I guess the issue is how does she now prove that she lives there and it is no longer empty.

Presumably the difference in water/gas/electric bills from the unoccupied period?

Ha! They would have a field day with me. @Wizardry24 You aren’t the only one with such a lifestyle. Last months electricity and gas combined was £48! I don’t have a tv or broadband and probably a whole host of other stuff your council would deem normal. But my council are not as intrusive either.

I assume you are on the electoral roll at that address? Only because maybe that’s what they are cross referencing- electoral roll v council tax and if you are only on one, (ct) they are assuming you don’t actually live there?

Your local councillor should be able to help you with this.

The question they want to know is where were you living for the year the property was empty? If abroad then you would have a rental agreement showing your right to occupy that property. If you were living with your Mum then you need to explain why you were there and why you now live in your house.

Have you provided the utility bills for the year it was unoccupied to show your occupation has increased the electricity charges? It should be pretty much standing charge only plus a small amount of electric used and then now showing more consumption because of your occupation. That is the information surely that would prove your occupation.

Sadly, no, I don't believe it is invasive. Council Tax used to be the same across the country in terms of what gets billed. Empty second properties used to be charged at 50% and we would have people lying to get the 50% charge on their main home as that was sometimes more expensive. Investigating the lies was time consuming and costly to the tax payers.

Then in areas of high tourism the monies coming in from council tax were less than if they had people occupying the house as their sole and main residence. After I stopped working in council tax someone in their infinite wisdom decided you could now charge what you wanted, I think up to 90%. Some councils went with 75% but others went to 90% which meant you then had fake tenancies because council tax is 50% property charge and 50% 2 adults living there, so if one adult lives there it is 75%.

A lot of fraud does go on so that people avoid paying council tax so sadly they come at it from a suspicious standpoint. The electricity bills should absolutely prove you are there compared to the empty period.

@Wizardry24 I didnt realise council were privvy to our electric bills!!

Well what do they think the £60 electricity went on if the property is empty? All that for the fridge and a weekly check?

Between which dates was the £60 worth of leccy used?

This does not happen.

I used to work in Council Tax too. The electric bill will flag as a standing charge with no actual usage. As Coincil Tax is a tax they have no leeway with erring on the side of the bill payer if there is doubt. We had whole teams who responded to queries such as this one.

Anyone lighting their home with candles is daft. Using LED light bulbs is far cheaper and infinitely safer.

This

I assume they asked her for them as proof someone lived there. Seems suss tho, mine is never less than £300 a month and we are with UW which is the lowest UK tariff apparently

FFS you provide the bills, they don't have access to your electricity bills. You have to prove occupancy somehow, this is how you do it. Hardly invasive unless you are growing cannabis in your attic.

The OP has everything she needs to prove she is living there. The electricity and gas bills for a whole year when the property was empty and now the low consumption bills of her occupation.

Look, there is a whole shitty underbelly of council tax benefit fraud, criminals using money obtained through criminal activity to buy houses, rent fraud where you rent from your partner but claim as a single parent etc. There are full investigation teams that go and visit properties to see if people are living where they say they are living and if they live alone if they are claiming a single occupier discount. Most day to day council tax is straightforward, then there is the above.