How to cut your council tax as five per cent rise looms in Telford

Unless something unexpected happens in the next few months it is likely that council tax bills will be going up at above the rate of inflation.

Telford & Wrekin Council has started the ball rolling on increasing its share of the tax by 5 per cent with increases also on the cards for most town and parish councils, the local fire service and West Mercia Police, who make their own decisions.

One councillor recently pointed out at a meeting that Telford & Wrekin Council staff are receiving a 3.2 per cent wage rise but the council tax is set to rise by 5 per cent, so they too will be affected.

All the money from the borough council increase has been earmarked to be put into the increasing costs of adult social care and looking after the area’s most vulnerable.

Consumer champion Martin Lewis has pointed out in an email to his followers that he believes that this level of increase – the maximum before a local referendum has to be held – is likely across the country.

But he advises there are ways to chop possibly hundreds of pounds off bills with a dazzling array of schemes.

These include one that promises a pot of gold if you get it right or having hell to pay with the neighbours if you get it wrong.

Mr Lewis, of MoneySavingExpert, wrote: “The system is broken.

“What you pay depends on which valuation band – from A to H – you’re in, based on stopgap ‘2nd-gear valuations’.” These are based on 1991 property valuations.

The TV money saver wrote that many thousands of people have been able to get their bands lowered with a backdated refund.

But he warned that two important checks need to be made. One is to find out what bands the neighbours are in – then a calculation needs to be made on whether homes should be in a lower band.

Bear in mind that Telford and Wrekin’s average band is B – lower than the national average band D.

Mr Lewis warned that both checks must be made as “you can’t ask for your band to be lowered, only revalued, and you don’t want yours or your neighbours’ to go up”.

He added: “If neighbours in similar properties are in a lower band than you, then you may have a claim – though it could mean that they’re all in the wrong band.

“This happened to a street in Hull, when one unidentified resident appealed as she was in band B, and all her neighbours in similar properties were in band A.

“But instead of her getting a council tax cut, all her neighbours are now facing larger bills as they were all upbanded.”

There are an array of other discounts available, including 25 per cent off for single people, as council tax is based on two people in one household.

Even if only one member of a couple is a pensioner they can be considered under the pension-age council tax reduction scheme.

There is also council tax reduction hardship assistance for those who can’t afford council tax after it has been reduced.

There are pages of advice on the Telford & Wrekin Council website including where to go for independent advice.

The link is here: https://www.telford.gov.uk/council-tax/money-off-your-bill/

Martin Lewis’s advice is on his website: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/