Can anyone advise on council tax student discount, single parent family?

[fuuuuckthis]

Just wondering if anyone can confirm if they pay a discounted council tax rate when they are a 1 parent household, with an over 18 at uni? My DC started uni in September (living away), turned 18 in Nov. I got hit with a massive council tax bill and it turns out my single occupancy discount has been cancelled as ww now have 2 adults.
The person at the council hummed and hawed when I spoke to them and have sent me a form saying I MIGHT get a discount?
I feel sick, can't afford it. Will I go back to my single adult discount?
Thanks if anyone knows!

Yes whilst your DC is a student and exempt this means you qualify for the 25% discount as sole adult still

Yes, whilst your DC is a student they are exempt from council tax so you are still entitled to the single occupancy rate. The uni can provide evidence that they are a student if you need it. Just search the uni website for details of how to obtain the certificate.

Thank you so much. Financial panic averted!

Check your council website, these are the rules from Edinburgh as an example. Student Council Tax discount – The City of Edinburgh Council

yes, I got the discounted rate when my eldest when to uni. I had to submit proof (can do on the council portal) and that was sorted.

Did you get this sorted op. im in a huge panic over losing my rebate. im in England and I received letter today from the council asking to review my single adult rebate status as they are aware my dc is now 18. I filled in the online form declaring dc was now 18 but it did not ask me dc's status. they are also in full-time education and intending to go on to uni. All it asked was their date of birth and said I'd now receive a new bill as im no longer a single adult. im now in a huge panic dc has no income and I cannot afford an extra 25% each month.
ive started my own thread but did all work out ok for you and you still receive the discount op?

Salad cream - You just need to call or email to provide evidence of them being in full time education. The school can do the certificate. You’ll probably need to do it again when they go to university. If they’ve already recalculated the bill just ask for it to be redone. It’s a faff and I had to do this loads of times but you don’t lose your discount while they're in full time education , which runs to end of august as per child benefit , even if they (probably) incorrectly send you a new bill for the end of school term, (and probably again when they finish uni even though you told them they were staying on in uni city 3 times like dd) Their school student status goes to end august and in fact there is a ‘grace period’ to November we discovered, as ds is on a gap year and I am now paying in full as of November. Will then have the recalculation faff in September when he goes to uni, and no doubt again throughout!

Yes i got my discount...bit of a faff getting the form from uni. And then my monthly amount was screwed up for ages because they took too much, then there were partial refunds etc. But it's all straightened out now. I still think a 25% discount is ridiculous but that's another thread!

The easiest way to deal with this is NOT to pay by direct debit, but by standing order. This means you decide what to pay, not the council.
You create the standing order with the bank each March when the bill arrives, then they can't take too much, while you get the certificate from the school or uni, and send it in.
That way, no faffing around with refunds. You pay the correct 75% from the start.

Glad you got sorted, it is an absolute faff! Though agree with meadowsweet, it’s easier if not paying DD. I do it manually each payday so I didn’t actually ever pay the wrong amount, though it was still stressful with the new huge bills and having to sort it out so often.

Thank you for your response op glad you got it sorted. I do pay by direct debit and im going to see if I can cancel it if thats possible before they start taking money I cannot afford to pay. my dd is still in college was thinking myself its going to be a faff trying to get a letter from college plus she'll be leaving soon to go on to uni so will have the whole rigmarole again. im sure they like to make things difficult on purpose to stop us claiming any kind of discount.

Definitely worth cancelling the direct debit as like I said, they will almost certainly be chopping and changing it incorrectly, then you’re in control of what you pay while it’s sorted out.

@grapefruitnights Just cancelled the DD thanks for the advice on that one. only trouble is im sure my council charge an extra £5 or so on each bill for not paying by DD. its shit but better than than them just taking money randomly. Pisses me off that im already paying £100+ per month in a band A property and all council services have been drastically cut in my area but thats a whole different thread too!

Really? I don’t think I pay an extra £5 but maybe I have done! It’s such a ballachethey have stressed me out loads especially sorting this after divorce which was stressful enough. I’m paying £270 now as a single parent on not much more than average wage which is painful. I hope it gets sorted more easily for you 😊

@grapefruitnights wow £270 you must be in a much higher tax band and I thought it was bad enough paying just over £100 for my tiny property. I feel for you. Council tax is the bill I despise the most.