Residents urged to check their council tax during amnesty period

A short amnesty will be running until Sunday, 3 December, when claimants are encouraged to tell the council about any changes in their circumstances and to cancel their 25 per cent discount without any further repercussions if they are no longer eligible.

The amnesty is being put in place as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council looks to step up efforts to identify fraudulent claims using intelligent data matching as part of the National Fraud Initiative run by the Cabinet Office, but has introduced the amnesty period before the review begins.

Claimants no longer eligible for the discount include a single parent household where children have reached 18 but are still living at home, if you have rented out a spare room to a lodger, or you have children who have come to live in the parental home after living away.

Cabinet member for finance, service delivery and improvement at the borough council, Cllr Robert Tate said: “The majority of households claiming single person discount on their council tax are eligible to do so.

“However, if you are getting a single person discount and are not entitled to it, tell us and we’ll simply amend your account and take it no further. If you don’t, then further action may be taken against you.

“Please act now and let the council know of any change in your circumstances before Sunday 3 December.”

Claimants who are not entitled to receive single person discount and fail to declare any personal changes by December 3 will face further action.

This will include backdating the cancellation of the discount as far as evidence will allow and, in certain cases, the council will also impose a civil penalty which means an additional £70 on the claimant’s council tax bill.

People who are unsure if they are still eligible for council tax discount should contact the council tax team at the borough council by sending an email with the subject ‘SPD Amnesty’ to localtax@basingstoke.gov.uk.