Community charge

[Podgedodge]

I realise this is a very specific set of circumstances but just wondered if anyone could shed any light for me.
My DH died in July so I am now paying community charge as a single person with discount, am a homeowner.
My DD turned 18 this month. She works some shifts at fast food place and is going to uni next year, left school in June.
I have filled in all electoral register etc as they arise so she is registered to vote at this address. Is she liable to pay CC now and do I lose my 25% and more importantly, what do I do to ensure I am doing the right thing? Do I phone up CC offices to ensure they are aware of the change of circumstances, or do they take info from electoral role?
I feel these are fairly stupid questions, but with everything going on, I seem to be struggling with the simplest of tasks.
Thanks.

Sorry for your loss

I'm not sure how they work it specifically at the council end, but when your DD is a student you are entitled to the 25% off and you probably need to apply to the council with evidence of her enrolment. It's unlikely you'll get a discount when she is not studying. I don't think they get counted from school finishing until September just because a lot will be starting uni or college then.

I'd presume they will charge you the full amount for this year and if they don't do it automatically, i'd contact them as you don't want to build up a debt. Then apply for the single person discount again next year and ask what evidence of study they need. A friend needed a form completed from her son's college.

Hope you get it sorted, as you say, you have enough on your plate.

07ElephantOfRisk is incorrect, you only get discount for students if the whole household is students

That's incorrect @guessmyusernameguess. You only get an exemption from council tax completely on the property if the whole household are students. But single adult occupants can get the 25% discount as a single adult household if the only other occupants are disregarded. Students would be disregarded.

So even for house shares, if there was 1 adult working and the 2 students, the property would be liable for council tax and the working person would be the person liable, but they could get 25% discount.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/renting-a-home/student-housing/students-in-private-rented-accommodation/student-housing-council-tax/

Think I have confused two questions in my head. What I’m really trying to ask is should my DD now be paying c c? Ie, is she responsible in her own right as an over 18 year old or is it still just me who is responsible but I don’t now get the discount?

If DD is working and not a student, your household pay full council tax.

Sorry for your loss

School leavers do not count until 1 Nov.
Once she’s a student - you’d still count as single adult household regardless of if she lives with you, but you’ll probably need to submit evidence as to her student status.

After 1 Nov, if she lives with you and isn’t in education then you’d start to count as a two adult household, and you’d pay 100% unless you are a low income household etc.

Double check with Citizens Advice but fairly sure that’s what I’ve been told

Better to stop thinking of it as the community charge which was levied on each person as an individual. Its now council tax which is levied on the household and is based on a minimum of 2 adults in the house. Homes with 1 adult get 25% discount. As she is 18 then your DD counts as an adult. However she is not counted if she is a student or a recent school leaver.

I'm pretty sure the November date is correct so you will count as a 2 person household between then until DD becomes a registered student.

Sorry for your loss OP

I had quite a complex set of circumstances when DD turned 18 and I contacted the council's welfare rights team who were fantastic. They talk you through what needs to be done.

They passed me on to the council tax team who did just about everything for me. So helpful so I would say contact your local
Authority and ask what you need to do

Now DD is a student it's marked as "personal disregard " rather than single person discount

Thank you all, that makes more sense to me now and I will contact the welfare team.
(Tbh, I’m so old I still think of it as the poll tax!)

I think that's where the confusion is arising because Council tax doesn't work like that, it is more like the old rates system.