A five minute check helped me get a £2,000 refund - it lowered our bills forever
LOGGING on to the government website to check our council tax band, I quickly realised we were paying £2,256 per year while our neighbours were paying £336 less. Our home was listed as a Band E, wh…
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LOGGING on to the government website to check our council tax band, I quickly realised we were paying £2,256 per year while our neighbours were paying £336 less.
Our home was listed as a Band E, while the houses either side - and also both three bed semi-detached properties were Band D.
2
Emma Robertson realised she was paying more council tax than the neighbours2
Emma was able to get a £2,000 refundI then looked at the houses nearby that were classed as band E and noticed that they were all the houses that were extended and had also added another bedroom.
And that meant we had been overpaying since we bought the property in December 2018.
It was really straight forward to do.
Once you’ve input your own postcode, the website lists all the addresses around you and what band they’re in.
Read more on council taxI submitted a challenge online and it took five minutes to fill out and three months later I received a letter explaining I was due a £2,000 refund.
We are not alone, one in 20 homes in the UK or 400,000 people are in a too high council tax band.
It’s also important to note that your band could go up as a result of the challenge - or your neighbours property could be changed.
Firstly, you need to check your neighbours banding, which can be done through the Government website.
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And secondly, doing a valuation check of what your house would’ve been in 1991.
It was in 1991 that the new council tax system was launched and there wasn’t enough time to do the task accurately.
Tuition fee hike now active possibility amid university funding crisis - what it means for youMeaning that mistakes were made.
As a result of that over 3 million people have now challenged their banding and are still waiting for their refunds to go through.
But I was one of the lucky ones and just three months after submitting my challenge in March 2024, I received a letter advising me that we were being down banded from E to D and that I was due refund.
And they would be receiving a refund on our council tax dating back to when they moved into the house.
It's worth checking if you could be owed money.
Consumer rights expert, Martyn James, said: "The vast majority of people in the UK will be unaware that their cash is lining the coffers of their local council - and will be genuinely shocked by this extensive investigation by The Sun.
"Given that some councils use exceptionally aggressive debt collection procedures for even the slightest delay in payment of council tax, I'd argue that the time has come for a single, standardised approach to the collection and management of this tax."
Councils track this information on either a monthly or annual basis, meaning these figures may not be entirely up-to-date.
The actual amount owed to residents may be higher or lower depending on how frequently each council updates its records.
Finding out if you're owed a council tax refund is easier than you think.
Many councils have online claim forms available on their website
To find your local council's site, visit gov.uk/find-local-council.
While some forms can be lengthy, claiming online is often the quickest way to get your money back.
If you've recently moved, you'll likely need your old council tax reference number, which you can find on a previous bill.
If your council doesn't have an online form, or if the form seems too daunting, you can contact them directly by phone, email, or live chat.
Bear in mind that even if you contact them this way, you might still need to complete a form later to actually receive the refund.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, added: "Don't be afraid to call.
READ MORE SUN STORIES"It's another annoying piece of admin, but this one could leave you more than £100 better off, which isn't a bad return for ten minutes of admin."
CHECK FOR COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNTS
Some people can even get their bills slashed by 100%, meaning they won't pay anything at all.
Here are all the other discounts available.
If you're a pensioner
If you don't receive the guaranteed credit part of pension credit, you could still get a council tax discount if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.
If you live alone, you will get the 25% reduction, even if you’re not entitled to any benefits.
If you're a disabled
People with certain disabilities can get a discount of up to 100%. This applies to anyone considered severely mentally impaired (SMI), which includes conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s or learning difficulties resulting from a stroke.
If you're living with someone affected with an SMI, you could qualify for a discount, too.
To be considered, a GP needs to certify the SMI, and typically, they will need to receive at least one type of benefit, such as attendance allowance or personal independence payments (PIP).
Again, you can check your eligibility or that of a family member and apply on your local council’s website.
If you live alone
If you're the only adult in your home, you can get a 25% discount on your council tax bill.
This includes if you're a single parent with children under 18 in the house.
Usually, you'll need to let your local council know to get the reduction.
Even if other adults are in your home, you might still get the 25% reduction, as some groups of people are "disregarded" for council tax purposes.
If you're a student
Households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay any council tax.
To qualify as a full-time student, your course must:
Last at least one year Involve at least 21 hours study per weekIf you're between 18 and 20 and doing A Levels or equivalent, your course must last at least three months and involve at least 12 hours of study a week.
If there is an adult who is not a student in your household, they will need to pay council tax, but should still qualify for a discount if everyone else is a student.
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