Hundreds of thousands of homes to get council tax payment holiday – how to check if your bill is changing
HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits could be entitled to a council tax holiday as local authorities across the country roll out plans to help people cope with coronavirus.
Councils have begun announcing plans to help residents struggling with their finances through the next few months.
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Nearly 30 per cent of the councils surveyed by The Sun said they were offering payment holidays to residents worried about paying their council tax.
Others have said payments can be stretched out over 12 months, reducing the monthly cost, rather than the usual 10.
Birmingham, Chemsford, Rutland, Shropshire and Wiltshire councils are among those offering residents until June to pay for their first instalment, while Derby is giving customers until May and Cheshire and Ealing have said they will allow deferrals up until July.
Ealing is extending the deferral period for a further three months for self-employed residents.
What help am I entitled to?
COUNCIL TAX
All councils are offering £150 council tax reductions to residents already receiving Council Tax Support.
You should receive a letter in the coming weeks if you are eligible, and this reduction will be automatic in most local authorities.
You should check your local council website to see if you need to make an application.
If you're not yet receiving council tax support, you'll need to apply for this too.
To apply, simply go to the , put in your postcode and follow the instructions.
RENT
Some councils - like Hackney - are offering rent holidays for tenants who are struggling.
Others - like Lincoln - are moving the two rent-free weeks to April 6 & 13 from December for those who are struggling.
Many councils have additional funds available for those in need and most have said tenants will not be evicted for late payments for the next three months.
It comes after the Government announced a £500 million Hardship Fund for local authorities to provide support to those who need it most because of coronavirus.
The extra cash is being used to further reduce council tax bills for households who receive Council Tax Support - knocking an extra £150 off bills for those most in need.
It is up to individual councils on how they decide to use the cash which has been confusing for households.
Most councils have said the discount will be applied automatically to households who are entitled to it, but some have said residents must apply to see if they are eligible - sparking fears many may miss out without realising.
The Local Government Association has advised residents to check their local council website to see whether they are eligible and if they need to apply directly.
Other councils have gone even further in their support efforts, with York Council freezing the increase on rent due to come into effect on April 6.
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Rent for council tenants was due to increase by 2.7 per cent, but the council has said tenants will be refunded the extra they paid at the beginning of this month.
It comes after local councils across the country came under fire for going ahead with proposed increases to rent, council tax and service charges despite coronavirus.
Households across the UK are now paying up to 15 per cent more on their council tax bill.
The average B and D council tax in England for 2020-21 will be £1,817, up from last year’s figure of £1,750.
That means homes in England will see an average increase of £67, or 3.9 per cent.
What each council is offering
HERE'S what the councils we asked are doing:
- Birmingham - Automatically knocking an additional £150 off bill for anyone receiving Council Tax Support. Offering payment delay until June 28 for some customers, to still be paid in 10 instalments throughout the year.
- Brighton - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Not pursuing any council tax or rent arrears until June. Discretionary funds available to households most in need.
- Bristol - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Waiving interest on missed council tax payments over next few months.
- Chelmsford - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for anyone who qualifies for Council Tax Support. Payment deferral until June available for some customers, but not across the board.
- Cheshire - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Payment deferral available until July.
- Lincoln - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Moving rent-free weeks forward from Christmas and New Year to April 6th and 13th and offering one-off payments to some tenants whose income has been directly affected by coronavirus and who are unable to pay their rent.
- City of London - Those eligible already receive 100% Council Tax Relief - urging tenants who think they may now be eligible to apply. Additional payments of up to £150 available to some residents who have suffered a loss of income as a result of coronavirus.
- Derby - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. No recovery on missed payments until June and payment deferral on offer until May. Customers are also able to pay smaller payments across 12 months, rather than across 10.
- Hull - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Guaranteed no tenants will lose their council home during this period.
- Lancaster - Anybody in receipt of Council Tax Support already receives 100% discount on Council Tax. Discretionary funds available for residents most in need.
- Leeds - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- London Borough of Camden - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Additional help available for some tenants with rent through discretionary housing payment and welfare fund.
- London Borough of Croydon - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- London Borough of Hackney - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Rent payment holidays available for some tenants and urgent financial support available for those most in need.
- London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham - Automatically offering up to £200 off council tax bills for those residents already receiving council tax support. Affordable payment plans for council tenants struggling to pay rent. Also offering three-month rent holiday for businesses renting council properties.
- London Borough of Islington - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- London Borough of Sutton - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Additional support available for those most in need on a case-by-case basis.
- London Borough of Wandsworth - Council Tax reductions averaging £185 for 3,600 households. No evictions as a result of rent arrears and no court action over missed Council Tax payments during this period.
- Manchester - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Further £500,000 available for people in hardship who don’t already receive CTS. If you are struggling to meet payments, the council advises you contact them directly.
- Newcastle - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- Plymouth - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- Portsmouth - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- Rutland - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Offering payment deferrals until June, and additional crisis fund available for those most in need.
- Shropshire - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Offering payment deferrals until June.
- St Albans - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Additional funds available for those most in need.
- Stoke - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Additional funds available for those most in need on a case-by-case basis.
- Wiltshire - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Payment deferrals until June available for some.
- Wolverhampton - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support.
- Worcester - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Residents able to spread payments across 12 months, rather than 10.
- York - Automatically reducing bill by £150 for those already in receipt of Council Tax Support. Freezing 2.7% interest increase due to come into effect on April 1 for three months.
But some homes in Pembrokeshire, Wales, will be paying up to 15.4 per cent more, according to .
Band D properties in this area will be charged £1,252.41 in 2020-21, up from £1,445.22 in the previous year and an increase of £192.81.
In Scotland, homes will pay and average of 4.1 per cent extra compared to last year.
Some councils have also announced rent holidays for some tenants because of coronavirus.
For example, Lincoln is offering two rent free weeks to those eligible from April 6.
A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: “Residents should check with their council to find out what support is on offer for them.
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“Councils are working hard to ensure hardship funding reaches those who need them as quickly as possible.
“This funding has meant councils can provide much-needed support to households on the lowest incomes by quickly reducing or removing the need for them to pay council tax.
“Some councils have also delayed collecting payment of council tax until June, bringing forward the two months residents don’t pay the bill to the beginning of the calendar year.”