A review of the council tax single person discount has saved £360,000 of taxpayer’s money, says South Gloucestershire Council.
The council has over the past year completed a full review of the single person discount and following stringent checking a number of discounts have been cancelled.
The council wants to ensure that any council tax relief which is granted, such as the 25 per cent single person discount, is awarded only to those who are eligible to receive it – and is not paid to anyone not entitled because they have someone else living with them aged 18 or over.
Cllr Allan Higgs, executive member for corporate affairs, said: “We need to make sure that the council tax discount is only going to those who need it and are eligible to receive it.
“Our review has withheld around £360,000 and we want to encourage residents to contact us before our checks identify them as having circumstances which differ from those recorded on our systems.
“If it turns out that they are no longer eligible to receive the single person discount, then we will advise them of other types of support which may be available to them.”
There are currently 31,000 residents claiming the single person discount and following the review the council will continue to undertake residency checks to enable it to most efficiently identify those residents whose circumstances differ from those recorded on its systems and who may therefore no longer be eligible for the discount.
Residents will then be contacted to check their current circumstances and will be offered advice about other types of support which may be available to them. Reducing ineligible discounts has freed up resources to keep council tax down and improve frontline services.
Any residents who think they may no longer be entitled to a discount should contact the council by calling 01454 868003 or e-mailing: counciltax@southglos.gov.uk.
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
