Advice on council tax reduction

[hrh89]

Hey guys. So I’ve had a little look online and it’s all a bit confusing. Maybe there are some of you who work in councils or have applied for these types of benefits that could help.

I currently live with my mum. The property is in her name. We are currently paying full council tax each month. She has been in hospital for 8 weeks and I do not know for how long she will be there.

Should I still be paying full council tax? What would I apply for in this situation?
I do feel like we’re paying too much considering there is only me here right now. Any advice welcome

 

[Youngmum29]

Firstly I’m really sorry that your mum’s in hospital! I hope she’s back home ASAP.

I’m not 100% sure they would make an exception for one member of the household being in hospital, however I haven’t been in that situation myself to be able to advise you properly. From what I understand, Council tax is based on your postcode and how many bedrooms you have.

the online stuff can be so confusing, if I was you I’d ring them in the morning and explain the situation. I’m sure they’ll be able to advise if you can apply for council tax benefit, or possibly universal credit.

 

[hrh89]

Firstly I’m really sorry that your mum’s in hospital! I hope she’s back home ASAP.

I’m not 100% sure they would make an exception for one member of the household being in hospital, however I haven’t been in that situation myself to be able to advise you properly. From what I understand, Council tax is based on your postcode and how many bedrooms you have.

the online stuff can be so confusing, if I was you I’d ring them in the morning and explain the situation. I’m sure they’ll be able to advise if you can apply for council tax benefit, or possibly universal credit.

thank you for taking the time to reply. I was wondering if single person reduction would apply ? but that seems to imply someone living alone permanently. none of these benefits account for weird and wonderful situations you find yourself in

I read online that if I didn’t live here she wouldn’t have to pay council tax as she’s in hospital. We are paying the price we do because obviously there are two adults here usually but as there is only me now it’s almost like I live alone for this period of time. Idk

 

[Youngmum29]

You might get single person reduction for the time spent in hospital, but I’m assuming they look at everything on a case by case basis.

You should definitely call them And find out. They might even back date any claim you make so it could mean a refund/money off the next bill

 

[hrh89]

You might get single person reduction for the time spent in hospital, but I’m assuming they look at everything on a case by case basis.

You should definitely call them And find out. They might even back date any claim you make so it could mean a refund/money off the next bill

yeah that’s what I’m hoping. I really should have looked into this sooner but I’ve been struggling to cope with it all and it felt a bit overwhelming thanks for the advice x

 

[Youngmum29]

I don’t blame you for feeling overwhelmed, regardless of what’s happening with the pandemic it’s always worrying when someone you love is in hospital.

I may not be much help with council tax advice but if you want to talk about anything, feel free to send me a message. I’m on here everyday anyway!

 

[Tor88]

I don’t think there’s anything they can do unless she’s given a time period she will be hospitalised for say another x amount of days/weeks. It’s based on a yearly premium for the bedrooms/postcode/property value. I live alone 5 days a week and there was nothing I could do, I pay for 2 people living here all year round when in reality I’m alone for 2 thirds of the year

 

[Cantstandspanj]

Hi @hrh89

I’m sorry to read about your situation. I hope your mum is okay.

As the council tax is in your mums name, you wouldn’t qualify for any single occupancy discounts while she is in hospital.

Likewise, as you reside in the property, your mum wouldn’t be eligible for a hospital exemption either, unfortunately.

If you are on a low income you can apply for a second adult rebate. This is a reduction that would help towards up to 25% of the council tax charge. It’s income dependant though so it’s not black and white as to whether or not you’d be eligible for this.

Alternatively if your mums income has decreased as a result of being in hospital she may be entitled to council tax reduction based on what she has coming in. If your mum was eligible for this then there would be a non dependant charge for you residing in the household, so it wouldn’t cover all of the charge.

The help either of these options provides could be minimal but it’s better than nothing if you’re entitled. You should be able to find out more about it on your local authority’s website. A lot have calculators to assess your entitlement, if any.