Council looking to identify residents claiming single person tax discount they are no longer entitled to

The council gives 25% discount to more than 9,200 households where there is only one adult resident at the property, which totalled more than £3.1 million last year.

The council now plans to compare its council tax information with other databases to identify cases where a discount is being claimed even though circumstances may have changed.

Adrian Sibley, the Council’s Section 151 Officer, said: “We know that the majority of our residents will be claiming the discount honestly and legitimately; however, there are times where circumstances change and people forget to tell us their discount should end.

“Also, unfortunately there will be a minority who do attempt to defraud the system.

“We will shortly be sending a letter to residents in receipt of Single Person Discount. We will be asking for them to confirm their current circumstances. Residents can respond via text, online or by returning the form to the address provided. It is a statutory requirement for council tax payers to tell us within twenty one days if they think they should no longer qualify for a discount. If you receive a discount you think you are no longer entitled to, this is your chance to tell us before we contact you.

“We are obliged to amend any records we find to be incorrect, back to the date of the change. “This means that householders do not benefit from withholding information from us and it makes the system fairer for everyone. It could mean some households will find they have a considerable amount of council tax arrears to pay. Whilst we are cracking down on the incorrect discounts granted, we are still keen to make sure that everyone gets the reductions they are entitled to. You should contact us if you think you should qualify for any discounts and exemptions.”

Residents can contact Boston’s Council Tax team via email at [email protected] or by phone on 01205 314202. For more information about the available discounts and exemptions, householders can check the website at https://www.mybostonuk.com/council-tax/