Council Tax Explained - Tamworth 2013

Your 2013/14 Council Tax explained

...for you

Working together...

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Council tax and business rates 2013/14

Contentspage

Who does what?

Where does your money go?

Facts about your council tax bill

Local council taxdiscount

Pay by direct debit

Where your moneyis spent

Handy contacts

Single person discount

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5

9

10

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19

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www.tamworth.gov.uk

WelcomeNow more than ever, people areturning to their local authorities forsupport. It is therefore vital that wecontinue to provide those services thatare important to you.

With a continuing reduction in thefunding we receive from centralgovernment, we are working hard toensure that we retain highquality, value for money services for ourresidents.

This booklet outlines how we plan tospend our share of the money raisedfrom your Council Tax this year. Pleasetake a few minutes to read through thisinformation.

You may find you are eligible to claiman exemption or discount, which couldreduce how much Council Tax you needto pay. See pages 5-8 for more detail.


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Who does what?This page highlights the main services provided by Tamworth Borough Council.

Tamworth Borough Council

Waste collection and recycling

Collection of counciltax and business rates

Local council tax discount

Support for the homeless

Parks and open spaces

Planning and building control

Street cleaning

Environmental health

Election administration

Leisure services

Promoting economicgrowth & regeneration


The table below shows how much of your Council Tax goes to each authority.

Who gets your money? Council tax IncreaseYour bill is divided up like this (Band D) (subject to rounding) this year

Fire & Rescue Authority £67.64 0.00%

Tamworth Borough Council £152.50 1.97%

OPCC Staffordshire £177.61 0.00%

Staffordshire County Council £1,027.25 -0.15%

Total amount Payable (Band D)* £1,425.00 0.10%

*This is the amount all Band D properties in Tamworth will pay for their core services.

The actual amount of Council Tax you pay will depend on which Council Tax band your property is in. More than 80%of people in Tamworth will pay less than the Band D charge. Any discounts and benefits you are entitled to receivemay reduce your charge. For more information on Council Tax bands and discounts please see pages 5-8.

Summary of your Council Tax chargeThe table below shows you what each authority plans to spend in the coming year and theamount each will raise from Council Tax.

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Where does your money go?

11p to Tamworth Borough Council

5p to Fire & Rescue Authority

12p

72pto Staffordshire County Council

Tamworth Borough Council

Gross spending £54.445m

Less income £46.251m

Net expenditure £8.194m

Less Central Government £5.114msupport and net business rates income

Amount to be raised from Council Tax £3.080m

To work out the Band D Council Tax we divide the amount to be raised from Council Tax by the number of Band D equivalent properties in Tamworth, after adjusting for discountsand exemptions.

to Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Staffordshire (OPCC Staffordshire)


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IntroductionFind out more about your Council Tax bill,including information on discounts,exemptions and appeals.

How is Council Tax calculated?Your Council Tax is based on two adultsliving in a property.n If only one person lives there, they are

entitled to a 25% discount.

n If nobody lives there, the bill may bereduced. See page 6 for more detail.

n Certain properties could be 100%exempt even if they are occupied. See page 7 for more detail.

Please remember, if you are waiting for theoutcome of an application for a reduction,you must continue to pay your current bill.If successful, you will be entitled to a refundof any overpaid Council Tax.

Could I get a discount?This depends on the number of adults in yourhouse and their circumstances. If any of theadults are on the list opposite, they may notbe counted for Council Tax purposes. If thistakes the number of ‘counted’ adults belowtwo, you could be eligible for a discount.

n Full time students, student nurses,apprentices, youth training trainees andforeign language assistants.

n Young people for whom child benefit ispayable and 18/19 year olds who havejust left school or college.

n Patients resident in hospital or beinglooked after in care homes.

n Severely mentally impaired people.

n People in hostels or night shelters.

n Low paid care workers usually forcharities.

n People caring for a person with adisability who is NOT a partner or childunder 18.

n Members of religious communities suchas monks or nuns.

n People in detention (except for non-payment of Council Tax or a fine).

n Spouses or dependants of students whoare non-British subjects and areprevented by immigration regulationsfrom working or claiming benefits.

n Members of visiting forces, certaininternational and defence organisationsand those with diplomatic privilege or immunity.

Facts about your Council Tax bill


Empty and second homesYou may be able to get a discount on yourbill for empty homes. This will depend onwhere the property is. If your main residenceis elsewhere you will be charged the fullcouncil tax for any home in Tamworth.

Contact us to find out more. See handycontacts on page 19.

Type of home Discount Allowed

Empty & unfurnished up to 2 months 100%

Empty & unfurnished over 2 months None

Empty & undergoing 50% for major repairs up to 1 year

Furnished & 2nd homes None

In addition, properties empty andunfurnished over 2 years are subject to a150% charge to encourage owners to bringthem back into use.

The Council Tax billing team will give youmore information about charges and may be able to refer you to someone who cangive you advice about bringing yourproperty back into use. See handy contactson page 19.

Reduction for people withdisabilitiesIf you, or someone who lives with you,needs a room, an extra bathroom or kitchen,or extra space in your property to meetspecial needs arising from a disability, your

bill may be reduced. The bill may be reducedto that of a property in the bandimmediately below the band of yourproperty. If your property is in Band A, areduction (equivalent to one ninth of bandD) will be given. This reduction is not basedon your income or savings.

Council tax valuation bandsThe Valuation Office Agency, part of HMRevenue and Customs (not your localcouncil) has put every property into one ofeight valuation bands. A full list of valuationbands is available on its website atwww.voa.gov.uk (see table below).

Band Range of Proportionvalues as at of Band D1 April 1991 tax payable

A Up to andincluding 6/9£40,000

B £40,001 to 7/9£52,000

C £52,001 to 8/9£68,000

D £68,001 to 1£88,000

E £88,001 to 11/9£120,000

F £120,001 to 13/9£160,000

G £160,001 to 15/9£320,000

H More than 2£320,000

Your Council Tax bill states which bandapplies to your home and your home’svaluation is based on an estimate of howmuch it was worth on 1 April 1991. Price changes since that time won’t affect the valuation.

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Could I be exempt from Council Tax?Some properties may be exempt from Council Tax.

Class Unoccupied properties which are:

B Owned by a charity (allowed for up to six months)

D Left empty by someone who has gone to prison

E Previously occupied by a person in permanent residential care

F Waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted (continuous for up to six months after

G Empty because occupation is forbidden by law

H Waiting to be occupied by a minister of religion

I Left empty by someone who has moved to receive personal care by reason of old age, disablement or illness

J Left empty by someone who has moved to provide personal care to another person

K Owned by a student and last occupied by a student

L Subject to a Repossession Order

Q The responsibility of a bankrupt person’s trustee

R A site for a caravan, mobile home or mooring

T Unable to let separately because it is linked to, or in the grounds, of another property

Class Occupied properties where:

M/N All the residents are students

O They are used for UK armed forces accommodation, whether occupied or not

P At least one liable person is a member of a visiting force

S All residents are less than 18 years old

U All residents are severely mentally impaired

V At least one liable person is a foreign diplomat being granted)

W It is annexed to a family home and occupied by that family’s elderly or disabled relatives


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Can I appeal against my Council Tax band?Yes, you may appeal against your CouncilTax band. There are several situations whereyou can appeal against the band in whichyour house has been placed:

n Within six months of becoming the newtax payer for the property.

n Within six months of the ValuationOffice Agency making a change to the band.

n If there have been specific materialchanges in the property value.

Any queries about appeals and bandingsshould be made direct to the Valuation OfficeAgency. See handy contacts on page 19.

What if I don’t think I shouldbe paying Council Tax?You can appeal to your borough council ifyou think you are not liable to pay CouncilTax e.g. because you are not the resident or

owner, or because your property is exemptor you are entitled to a discount. You shouldnot withhold payment if you are making anappeal. You should pay as normal and arefund will be made if you are successful.

Changes in circumstancesIf you have been granted a reduction youmust tell the council of any change incircumstances which will affect yourentitlement within 21 days. If you fail to doso you may be faced with a penalty of £70.For more details about Council Tax discountssee pages 5-7.

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The borough council is required undersection 6 of the Audit Commission Act1998 to participate in the National FraudInitiative (NFI) data matching exercise.Council tax data is provided to the AuditCommission for this purpose and will beused for cross-systems and cross-authoritycomparison for the prevention anddetection of fraud.

We advise Council Tax payers that the dataheld by the council in respect of yourCouncil Tax liability will be used forcomparison purposes.

The eight district and borough councilswithin the Staffordshire area have workedin partnership with Staffordshire CountyCouncil to conduct a review of Council Taxdiscounts. The council may share theinformation you have provided to the

Council Tax team, with privateorganisations employed to conduct datamatching for the prevention and detectionof fraud.

Data matching helps to identify fraud butit may also identify claims and paymentswhich are erroneous. Where a match isfound it may indicate that there is aninconsistency which requires furtherinvestigation. No assumption is made as towhether there is fraud, error or anotherexplanation until an investigation iscarried out.

If you are currently in receipt of a CouncilTax discount that you are not entitled to,or require further information, pleasecontact our Council Tax team. See handy contacts on page 19.

How we collect and use information


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Cuts to Local Government grants means that thenew scheme for working age claimants cannot be as generous as the current rules.Consultation took place between 3rd September 2012 and 28th October 2012 about thereplacement scheme, which was then endorsed at full Council on 13th December 2012.

Local Council Tax DiscountOn 1st April 2013 a newLocal Council Tax DiscountScheme will replace thecurrent Council Tax Benefitscheme for working ageclaimants.

http://benefitchangestamworth.wordpress.com/ for more advice and information about our Local Council Tax Discount scheme as well as information about all other welfare reforms from April 2013

The main changes from 1st April 2013,for working age claimants, are:

n Support will be based on 75% ofCouncil Tax liability (restricted toBand D). This means that mostworking age claimants whocurrently pay no Council Tax willhave to pay at least 25% of theirliability from 1st April 2013

n Support will continue to be basedon 100% of Council Tax liability forworking age people who get aSevere Disability Premium, or whohave a disabled child, or who claima War Disability, War WidowsPension or receive an Armed ForcesCompensation payment

n Second Adult Rebate will beabolished

n Maintenance will be included as income

Please note that there will be a nationalscheme of regulations for people of StatePension Credit age who do not claimworking age benefits, which will be broadlythe same as the current Council Tax Benefitrules for pensioners.

Go to


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From 2013/14, you can pay your annual council tax bill in twelve instalments from April toMarch, rather than ten, but you need to contact us in writing before 5 April 2013 if you wishto do this. We can also extend your monthly instalments through to March during the year,but you need to contact us in writing if you wish to do this.


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Where your moneyis spentThe money that Tamworth Borough Councilcollects through Council Tax helps pay forservices such as household wastecollection and recycling, street cleansing,and maintaining parks and open spaces.

We achieve all of this using around 11% ofthe Council Tax we collect from you eachyear. The remaining 89% is passed on to theCounty Council, the OPCC Staffordshire andFire Service. The money we receive fromCouncil Tax helps us achieve the single vision‘One Tamworth, Perfectly Placed’ which isfocused on longer term, aspirational goalsof the Council.

To aspire and prosper in Tamworth

The Council and its partners have agreed towork together ‘To create and sustain athriving local economy and make Tamwortha more aspirational and competitive place todo business.’

This will be achieved by:n Raising the aspiration and attainment

levels of young people

n Creating opportunities for businessgrowth through developing and usingskills and talent

n Promoting private sector growth andcreate quality employment locally


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n Branding and marketing “Tamworth” asa great place to “live life to the full”

n Creating the physical and technologicalinfrastructure necessary to support theachievement of this primary outcome

Notable activity during 2012/13 included:n The Olympic Torch relay attracted more

than 40,000 visitors to the town

n Tamworth Heritage Festival – 60 eventstook place over two days and attractedmore than 9,000 people

n More than 7,000 people attended theChristmas lights switch on,

n More than 8,500 people attended the St. George’s Day celebrations in theCastle Grounds

n Around 20,000 people attended thefireworks display in the Castle Grounds

n A new interim Hoard exhibition hasbeen opened at Tamworth Castle with adisplay of the hoard and new replicaitems

n The relocated Tamworth InformationCentre celebrated its first birthday. Thefirst 12 months saw more than 36,000customers served, an increase of 13%

n We worked closely with StaffordshireCounty Council and Sainsbury’s onproviding a second exit at Ventura Park.

This opened in October and has helpedto alleviate traffic congestion at thispopular shopping destination

n Tamworth won gold in the Heart ofEngland In Bloom competition for thethird year running and a special awardfor horticultural excellence

n Plans to redevelop Tamworth’s Grade IIlisted Assembly Rooms moved a stepcloser as a result of initial backing fromthe Heritage Lottery Fund of almost£90k

n The Think Local 4 Business show washeld for the 9th consecutive year. This attracted nearly 700 delegates, 56 exhibitors and provided 12 seminars


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n 70 exhibitors attended the Pop UpShow, an opportunity for smallbusinesses to showcase themselves,network and generate custom

n Tamworth Borough Council and SouthStaffs College organised a day long event(“Which Way Next?”) aimed at raisingthe aspirations of Tamworth pupils bygiving them advice on the career andeducation options open to them afterthe age of 16. The event was attended byalmost 600 pupils

To be healthier and safer inTamworth,

The Council and its partners have agreed towork together ‘To create a safe environmentin which local people can reach their fullpotential and live longer, healthier lives’.

This will be achieved by:n Addressing the causes of poor health in

children and young people

n Improving the health and well being ofolder people by supporting them to liveactive, independent lives

n Reducing the harm and widerconsequences of alcohol abuse onindividuals, families and society

n Implementing ‘Total Place’ solutions totackling crime and anti-social behaviourin designated localities

n Developing innovative earlyinterventions to tackle youth crime and anti-social behaviour

n Creating an integrated approach toprotecting those most vulnerable in ourlocal communities

Notable activity during 2012/13 included:n The “Mucky Pup – Clean it up” dog

fouling campaign was launched inidentified dog fouling hotspots and newdog control orders were approved by the Council

n We became the first local authoritylandlord in the country to receive a threeyear accreditation for our RESPECTcharter, recognition of the effectivenessof the work being done to reduce anti-social behaviour and make life better forour tenants

n Four ‘Community Together’ days held inGlascote, Belgrave, Stonydelph &Amington around the Jubilee weekend

n Continuation of the programme ofestate walkabouts giving residents inthose areas the opportunity to not onlyidentify problems but also makesuggestions on how they could beimproved and become involved inproviding solutions


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n Extension of the HEAT scheme enablingresidents to benefit from improvementsto insulation (more than 2,500households have benefited from thescheme to date)

n Cabinet approved almost £500k fundingto be invested into projects over the nextthree years to prevent Tamworthresidents becoming homeless (Projectsinclude crash pad/night stops, arepossession prevention fund, CAB debtadvice service and a bond scheme)

n The announcement that £21.5million willbe spent over the next six years in thedemolition and redevelopment of parts of the Tinkers Green and Kerria housing estates

n The Walk for Health initiativecommenced. This is a new healthprogramme offering free guided walks around the borough’s parks and open spaces


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Which means for the future...

In light of the national economic situationand the significant constraints inGovernment funding, a measured approachto budget setting was approved for 2013/14as any growth proposals would requirecompensating reductions in other budgetareas and services. A commitment was made to protect key front line services and locality working.

However, through the capital programmeover the next 3 years, we will be investing£3.7 million in priority areas identifiedthrough consultation with residents.

These include:

n £45k for CCTV camera renewals;

n £620k on grants for private sectorhousing improvements;

n £2.5million on the improvements to theAssembly Rooms, subject to successfulfunding bids; and

n £183k to make the town centre morewelcoming and promote links withVentura Park, promote pedestrian andcycle priority access and identify andpromote key development sites.

Our 3-year medium term plan also includes:

n An additional £171k to fund anEconomic Development Project Officerwho would be dedicated to managingthe key projects for growth in the localeconomy which in turn should generateadditional income for the Council; and

n An extra £10k to increase the budgetallocation to small and arts grants.

To achieve our goals in 2013/14, Council Taxneeds to be increased by 1.97%. For over90% of Tamworth households this means arise of less than 6p per week (£2.95 for thewhole year). It should be noted thatTamworth’s Council Tax is currently £43below the average of the Council Taxcharges of similar councils.

Delivering Value for Money

Achieving value for money from everypenny the Council spends has never beenmore important. During 2012/13, thevarious strands of our ‘TransformingTamworth’ and ‘Support Services Review’programmes, plus other projects, wereincorporated under the ‘Corporate Change’umbrella. The Corporate Change Board ischarged with leading on a number ofprojects looking at how the Council deliversservices to our customers efficiently andeffectively; maximises its income; and makesbest use of its assets. During 2012/13, workon implementing a new CustomerRelationship Management system madesignificant progress, with workflow andimproved automation to improve customerservice, with the new system planned to golive during Summer 2013. Another majorproject is looking at agile working across theCouncil, to ensure that staff have the righttechnology in the right location to meetcustomer needs, and to make the best use ofoffice space.

We continue to deliver efficiency savingsthough corporate contracts and electronictendering methods, and by developing jointworking and joint contracting arrangementswith neighbouring authorities. The contractsawarded during 2011/12 for the Council’sHousing Repairs and Investment programme,and Gas Maintenance and Installationservices, are delivering significant savings.Corporate contracts for gas and electricitysupplies, and postage, have delivered furthersavings during 2012-13, and there are furtheropportunities available from joint workingthrough our membership of the StaffordshireCollaborative Procurement Group.


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Tamworth Fire & Rescue OPCC StaffordshireBand Borough Authority Staffordshire County Total

Council Council

A £101.67 £45.09 £118.41 £684.83 £950.00

B £118.61 £52.61 £138.14 £798.97 £1,108.33

C £135.56 £60.12 £157.88 £913.11 £1,266.67

D £152.50 £67.64 £177.61 £1,027.25 £1,425.00

E £186.39 £82.67 £217.08 £1,255.53 £1,741.67

F £220.28 £97.70 £256.55 £1,483.81 £2,058.34

G £254.17 £112.73 £296.02 £1,712.08 £2,375.00

H £305.00 £135.28 £355.22 £2,054.50 £2,850.00

Percentage 11% 5% 12% 72% 100%

Council Tax Bands 2013/14

Tamworth BoroughCouncil’s Net Funding

Council Tax Requirement Council Tax Amount Amount perCalculation per Person Band D Property

Budget We Need £8,204,480 £106.42 £406.18

Revenue Support Grant -£3,070,744 -£39.83 -£152.02

Business Rates (Net of Tariff) -£2,042,882 -£26.50 -£101.14

Subtotal £3,090,854 £40.09 £153.02

Less Surplus from Previous Years -£10,505 -£0.14 -£0.52

Council Tax 2013/14 £3,080,349 £39.95 £152.50

Why the Council Tax changes this year Amount

Raised from Council Tax 2012/13 £3.496m

Change in Councils Spending

Inflation £0.180m

Change in Income -£0.328m

Developing Services £0.559m

Savings & Efficiencies -£0.332m

Decrease in use of money from our balances -£0.014m

Sub-total £3.589m

Changes in Government Financial Support -£0.509m

Amount to be raised from Council Tax 2013/14 £3.080mAll figures quoted above exclude the costs and income for the Housing Revenue Account as these are notfunded by Council Tax revenue.

Council Tax(£3.1m)

Revenue SupportGrant (£3.1m)

Net BusinessRates (£2.0m)


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General FundTamworth Borough Council provides a wide range of services to local residents, businesses and visitors.

n Highways & Transport Services£0.3m surplus - (prior year £0.4m surplus)• Parking

n General Fund Housing Services£1.4m - (prior year £1.1m)• Private Sector Housing• Housing Benefit

n Other Costs£1.2m - (prior year £1.3m)• Corporate Management• Democratic Representation

n Central Services to the Public£0.8m - (prior year £0.8m)• Elections• Local Land Charges• Local Tax Collection

n Cultural Services£3.6m - (prior year £3.4m)• Culture & Heritage• Recreation & Sport• Tourism• Community Safety

n Environmental Services£3.5m - (prior year £3.6m)• Cemetery Services• Street Cleansing• Waste Collection &• Recycling

n Planning Services£1.7m - (prior year £1.6m)• Planning Policy & Applications

• Building Control• Community & Economic Development

Budget Summary 2012/13 2013/14 Increase/decrease

Gross Expenditure £43.849m £39.662m -10%

Income -£32.414m -£27.801m -14%

Net Cost of Services £11.435m £11.861m 4%

Council Tax -£3.496m -£3.080m

Deficit/Surplus of Trading Undertakings -£1.848m -£1.780m

Net (Income)/Cost of investment interest income, debtinterest payments & charges to HRA in relation to debt -£0.182m -£0.243m

Net Operating Expenditure £5.909m £6.758m 14%

Use of Collection Fund Surplus -£0.026m -£0.011m

Government Support -£4.605m -£3.071m

Business Rates (Net of Tariff) – -£2.043m

(Surplus)/ Deficit for year £1.278m £1.633m 28%

Adjustments required by statute or proper practices to ensure no impact on Council Tax -£0.508m -£0.877m

Total Decrease in General Fund Balances £0.770m £0.756m -2%

£1.7m

£3.5m

£3.6m

£0.8m

£1.2m

£1.4m

-£0.3m

-1.00 -0.50 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00

£ Million


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Housing Revenue AccountIn addition, Tamworth Borough Council manages a Housing Revenue Account, specificallyfor the management of the Council’s Housing Stock. These services for the borough’s councilhousing tenants are funded through rents received & specific contributions.

Key Budget Figures for 2013/14:

Gross Income of: £19.8m Gross Expenditure of: £20.4mIncluding Including

Dwelling Rents Receivable £18.1m Costs of Repairs £4.1mSupervision & Management £5.2mDepreciation £4.5mInterest payable £3.0mCapital Expenditure funded by HRA £3.5m

Other Informationn We will employ 337 staff in 2013/14 compared to 330 staff in 2012/13. (These figures are

estimated full time equivalents and not actual staff employed).

n It is estimated that at 31 March 2013 we have £65.1 million in loans and £19.5 million in investments.

Environment Agency Midlands Region

The Council Tax (Demand Notices) (England) Regulations 2011

The Environment Agency is a levying body for its Flood and Coastal Erosion RiskManagement Functions under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and theEnvironment Agency (Levies) (England and Wales) Regulations 2011.

The Environment Agency has powers in respect of flood and coastal erosion riskmanagement for 2369 kilometres of main river and along tidal and sea defences, in thearea of the Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Money is spent on theconstruction of new flood defence schemes, the maintenance of the river system andexisting flood defences together with the operation of a flood warning system andmanagement of the risk of coastal erosion. The financial details are:

Trent Regional Flood and Coastal Committee 2012/13 2013/14

Gross Expenditure £27.196m £34.320m

Levies Raised £1.936m £1.936m

Total Council Tax Base 1.887m 1.628m

The majority of funding for flood defence comes directly from the Department for theEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). However, under the new Partnership Fundingrule not all schemes will attract full central funding. To provide ‘matching’ funding theAgency may seek funding from County and Metropolitan Councils, Unitary Authorities andLondon Boroughs in the form of a Local Levy. The Local Levy is shared on the basis of BandD Equivalents between all contributing bodies within the Committee Area.

Changes in the Gross Budgeted expenditure between the years reflects the impact of theGovernment Spending Review and national prioritisation of capital projects.The total Local Levy raised has remained the same in 2013/14 as 2012/13 at £1,936,000.


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Tamworth Borough CouncilMarmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, Staffs, B79 7BZContact Centre ........................................................................................................01827 709709Telephone Payments ................................................................................................0845 2307709Refuse Collection and Bulky Items Collection ........................................................0845 0020022Emergency Out of Hours Contact ............................................................................01827 59708Email ................................................................................................enquiries@tamworth.gov.ukWeb site ....................................................................................................www.tamworth.gov.uk

Help Stop FraudFraud Hotline ............................................................................................................0800 3286340

Valuation Office AgencyListing Officer, Valuation Office Agency ................................................................03000 501501Valuation Office Website ....................................................................................www.voa.gov.uk

FireStoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, Pirehill, Stone, ST15 0BSwww.staffordshirefire.gov.ukFire HQ ......................................................................................................................08451 221155

In an Emergency Dial 999

PolicePolice Headquarters, PO Box 3167, Stafford, ST16 9JZwww.staffordshire-pcc.gov.ukPolice single number ................................................................................................................101

In an Emergency Dial 999

Staffordshire County CouncilNo 1 Staffordshire Place, Stafford, ST16 2LPwww.staffordshire.gov.ukMain reception ........................................................................................................0300 111 8000

Handy ContactsThis information can be produced on request in otherformats and other languages. Call 01827 709530


Single person discount If you live alone, or are the only person over 18 at youraddress, you are entitled to a 25% ‘Single Person Discount’.If you have already been granted this discount, it will beshown on your bill.

If you are getting a discount but your circumstances changeso it no longer applies, the law says you must contact uswithin 21 days. If you don't, you can be fined £70. If you still don't inform us after that, you can be finedanother £280.

If someone moves out of an address temporarily, a singleperson discount does not always apply, even when only oneperson remains; we have to consider whether their main residence has changed.

The Council is committed to detecting discount fraud and regularly checks discounts claimed.We have recently undertaken a review with other Staffordshire Local Authorities of all singleperson discounts. We have access to a wide range of financial, electoral, housing and benefitinformation to help us prevent and detect single person discount fraud. Reducing fraudulentclaims helps us to keep Council Tax increases lower.

What should I do if I think someone is claiming a Council Tax discount fraudulently?

There are a number of ways you can tell us. You can do it anonymously, but if you do giveyour name we will keep it confidential. We have trained and experienced staff who canadvise you if you are unsure about whether to tell us what you suspect.

You can:n write to us at The Revenues Department,

Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, B79 7BZ

n email us at [email protected]

n ring us on 01827 709530

It is important that you give us as much information as possible as this helps us to gather enough evidence to cancel the discount. Due to the Data Protection Act (1998) and Human Rights Act (1998), we cannot tell you what we have done about a case you have reported, but we will investigate all reports and take suitable action.

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Council Tax Explained - Tamworth 2013

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