Sefton Council to Review Council Tax Sole Occupier Discount

Sefton Council is contacting approaching 50,000 households across the Borough about their Council Tax Sole Occupier discount.

Currently 49,800 households receive the 25% discount on the amount of Council Tax they pay, because they are the only person over the age of 18 living at the property.

Sefton Council will soon be contacting those households to make sure they still qualify for the discount. This will help ensure everyone is paying the correct amount of Council Tax.

Households that have signed up to manage their Council Tax through the online My Account service will receive an email. Those not signed up to My Account, will get a letter sent through the post.

People whose sole occupancy status has not changed do not need to respond to the letters or emails or take any other action.

Residents that do need to report a change, can do so at www.sefton.gov.uk/ct-review until Monday 30th September 2024. Any resulting Council Tax charges reported by that date will only be applied from when the changes are reported to the Council.

Changes reported after 30th September may result in charges being backdated.

Cllr Christine Howard, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said:

“It is really important that our records are up to date, so that we can make sure that we are billing households correctly. That’s why we are carrying out this review.

“People who receive the Sole Occupier discount will be receiving emails or letters through the post in the next few days.

“We understand that people’s circumstances may have changed since they reported their sole occupancy status to us which is why we are contacting them now and giving them the opportunity to make the changes easily online. Any changes to their account will then be applied from that date.”

After the 30th September cut-off date, the Council will be employing a company to carry out a further review on its behalf. The company will use credit checking history and other records to find out how many adults live in a property. If they determine that a Sole Occupier discount is being paid wrongly, it will be stopped and any additional payment due backdated.

Anyone whose circumstances have changed, meaning they are now a Sole Occupier, or who thinks they may now qualify for a Council Tax discount, should visit www.sefton.gov.uk/ct-discounts for more information.

People who do not have online access can call the Council’s Contact Centre for advice on 0345 140 0845