How Much Is Council Tax Band B? 

This blog answers the question “How Much Is Council Tax Band B?” The annual and monthly council tax payments for homeowners with a property valued in council tax Band B vary from council to council. The blog mentions Council Tax Band B rates for 6 different UK councils.

How Much Is Council Tax Band B? 

Council tax Band B in England is between (property values of) £40,000 and £52,000. This is a yearly council tax payment of £1734.73 in Bristol Council, £1349.82 in Ealing Council, £1429.08 in Bradford Council, £1656 in Liverpool Council, £1456.45 in Manchester Council, 1784.33 in Nottingham City Council for the year 2022-23.

The monthly council tax bill installment for Band B is £144.56 for Bristol Council, £112.49 for Ealing Council, £119.09 for Bradford Council, for Liverpool Council, for Manchester Council and for Nottingham City Council. Each monthly council tax installment must be paid in full on or before the mentioned date.

How many Council Tax Bands are there?

There are 9 Council Tax Bands. Band A, Band B, Band C, Band D, Band E, Band F, Band G, and Band H and Band I. Council tax Band A is for properties valued up to £40,000. Council tax Band B is for properties valued between £40,000 and £52,000. Council tax Band C is for properties valued between £52,000 and £68,000.

 Council tax Band D is for properties valued between £68,000 and £88,000. Council tax band E is for properties valued between £88000 and £120,000. Council tax band F is for properties valued between £120,000 and £160,000. Council tax band G is for properties valued between £160,000 and £320,000. Council tax band H is for properties valued above £320,000

What is the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme?

The Disabled Band Reduction Scheme reduces the amount of council tax paid annually on a property which houses a disabled person. Under the Council Tax (Reductions for Disabilities) Regulations 1992 the calculation for the new council tax (per day) applicable by subscribing to this scheme uses the formula A/B.

Here A is the annual amount payable for the discounted council tax band decided after consideration of the permanently disabled resident and the alterations made to the property to cater for their special condition. B is the number of days in the financial year. C (which is A/B x 100) is the percentage of council tax reduction granted per day on the disabled resident’s property.

The law mentions “anything being required for meeting the qualifying needs of an individual are references to it being essential….by reason of the nature and extent of his disability” in paragraph 2 for Eligible persons. This implies a room for therapy or other treatment as well as any daily living activities which require a larger kitchen or bathroom. 

Also “a room which is not a bathroom, a kitchen or a lavatory and which is predominantly used by….” in paragraph 1 a) i for Eligible persons. This can refer to any sort of personal space or specially constructed washing or walking area to suit their daily treatment routine. 

If the property requires extension to include space for freely moving around a wheelchair, it can qualify for a council tax disability band reduction.

It is also stated in the Council Tax (Reductions for Disabilities) Regulations 1992 that such a “qualifying individual (needs to be)… a person who is substantially and permanently disabled. Here the details of being permanently disabled include through illness, injury, congenital deformity or otherwise. 

These Council Tax Regulations were made by the Secretary of State for the Environment Micheal Heseltine and the Secretary of State for Wales, David Hunt ( signed 9th March 1992)

The Disability Band Reduction Scheme is also available in care homes.

The room or space being used by the permanently disabled person is regarded as essential if:

  • The qualifying individual who is permanently disabled would not be able to live on the property without it
  • In case they are kept in that house without that specific treatment facility their health will suffer (which could be the case for terminal illnesses or severe heart disease). Also their disability might worsen in the absence of a specially constructed medical unit.

What is my total annual council tax amount for each council tax band?

Your annual council tax bill depends on which council you live in, so your bill could be different from a person living in another council by a maximum of a few hundred pounds 

If you live in Bristol Council, your yearly tax is:

  • £1486.91 for a property valued in Band A
  • £1734.73 for a property valued in Band B
  • £1982.55 for  property valued in Band C
  • £2230.37 for a property valued in Band D
  • £2726 for a property valued in Band E
  • £3221.64 for a property valued in Band F
  • £3717.28 for a property valued in Band G
  • £4460.74 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Ealing Council, your yearly tax is:

  • £1156.99 for a property valued in Band A
  • £1349.82 for a property valued in Band B
  • £1542.65 for a property valued in Band C
  • £1735.48 for a property valued in Band D
  • £2121.14 for a property valued in Band E
  • £2506.81 for a property valued in Band F
  • £2892.47 for a property valued in Band G
  • £3470.96 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Bradford Council, your yearly tax is :

  • £1224.93 for a property valued in Band A
  • £1429.08 for a property valued in Band B
  • £1633.23 for a property valued in Band C
  • £1837.39 for a property valued in Band D
  • £2245.70 for a property valued in Band E
  • £2654.00 for a property valued in Band F
  • £3062.32 for a property valued in Band G
  • £3674.78 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Liverpool Council, your yearly tax is:

  • £1420 for a property valued in Band A
  • £1656 for a property valued in Band B
  • £1893 for a property valued in Band C
  • £2129 for a property valued in Band D
  • £2603 for a property valued in Band E
  • £3076 for a property valued in Band F
  • £3549 for a property valued in Band G
  • £4529 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Manchester Council, your yearly tax is:

  • £1248.39 for a property valued in Band A
  • £1456.45 for a property valued in Band B
  • £1664.52 for a property valued in Band C
  • £1872.59 for a property valued in Band D
  • £2288.70 for a property valued in Band E
  • £2704.83 for a property valued in Band F
  • £3120.97 for a property valued in Band G
  • £3745.17 for a property valued in Band H

If you live in Nottingham City Council, your yearly tax is:

  • £1529.43 for a property valued in Band A
  • £1784.33 for a property valued in Band B
  • £2039.23 for a property valued in Band C
  • £2294.14 for a property valued in Band D
  • £2803.95 for a property valued in Band E
  • £3313.76 for a property valued in Band F
  • £3823.57 for a property valued in Band G
  • £4588.28 for a property valued in Band H

What are the special expenses in council tax?

Special Expenses are charges made by council tax when they carry out work on behalf of your Parish Council. They are made in relation of the costs of maintaining open spaces and Christmas lights within the borough. The Council can levy special expenses on the following items :

  • All Cemetary provisions
  •  allotment provisions
  • Parks, open spaces and recreation grounds
  • The Council’s town center support

Is it possible to challenge a completion notice?

Yes, it is possible to challenge a completion notice by appealing to the Valuation Tribunal. You can challenge a completion notice in the following cases:

  • Your property is being constructed
  • You are making major structural alterations to your property

The challenge must be made within 28 days of receiving the completion notice because the notice mentions the date on which council tax first becomes due on the property.

A property is considered as being complete for council tax purposes when :

  • The 12 components (Roof, Lintels, Beams and slabs, columns, walls, floors, stairs, Damp Proof Course, foundation, plinth, and plinth beams) forming the basic structure of a house are complete and the property is sheltered from the effects of weather. 
  • The flooring is complete
  • Structural work (or first fix) has been initiated which may include building the wall studding, setting up plumbing and drainage systems, electric cable installation, stairs, building roof struts or gas mains have been installed.
  • The partition walls have been constructed
  • The hardware for electricity, gas and water systems has been laid down

The second fix of property construction includes the installation of radiators and boilers

In order for a property to be considered ready for banding the following work is not required to be complete:

  • The final installation of bathroom and kitchen furniture
  • The final installation of the electrical grid (including switches and wall plugs)
  • The final installation and induction of the electricity, gas, and water supply systems
  • The completion of the interior design of the property 

Does having a disability affect my liability to pay council tax?

Yes indeed, if you or someone who lives with you has a disability they can avail a council tax exemption or discount. Through the Disabled Band Reduction scheme, your property will be moved to a band lower than the one it is in currently (bands move from high to low in a descending order alphabetically, C is lower than D and D is lower than E). Getting a bill for a property in a lower band will mean lesser charges.

To avail of this scheme, you will need to prove that you have a larger property to cater for the needs of the disabled resident (and so are eligible to pay more council tax, than if the resident or residents of the property were normal). This larger size of property includes space for moving a wheelchair and an extra bathroom, kitchen, etc used to care for the disabled resident. This person with a disability may also be a child.

Similarly, council tax discounts of up to 100% are available for severely impaired property owners or residents

Conclusion

This blog post answered the question “How Much Is Council Tax Band B?” Council tax Band B is applicable to a property with a value of greater than £40,000 and less than £52,000. You can challenge your council tax band (along with the necessary evidence for your case) if you feel that your property has been valued in the wrong band,

A property valued in Council Tax Band B can get an annual bill of £1784.73 if you are living in Nottingham City Council but a property valued in the same band has an annual bill of £1349.82 for a person living in Ealing Council. This disparity between council tax rates might be due to the extra charges levied on your council tax bill.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) : How Much Is Council Tax Band B?

What is the Employment and Support Allowance?

The Employment and Support Allowance is a benefit for workers suffering from a medical condition or disability limiting the quantity of output they can produce or limits the number of hours they can give to their job.

The Employment and Support Allowance provides workers with assistance to get a job, if they are capable of working. It  also provides financial assistance to help bear living costs in case the person is incapable or working.

What are the requirements for claiming the Jobseekers Allowance?

You must be actively looking for employment to claim the Jobseekers Allowance as it is only meant to support those workers who are frictionally unemployed. The list of requirements for claiming the Jobseekers Allowance includes:

  • Having worked as an employee
  • Having paid Class 1 National Insurance Contributions (usually within the last 3 years or so)
  • Being aged 18 years or over
  • Actively seeking employment and being available for joining work
  • Not having any illness or disability which might prevent you from working
  • Being a resident of England, Scotland or Wales
  • Being aged below 65 years (66 years for females) which is the state pension age
  • Not being a full-time participant in the education sector (which is more than 18 hours a week and 540 hours a year)
  • Being currently jobless or working for less than 16 hours a week

What are the eligibility requirements for claiming Housing Benefit?

Housing Benefit is a payment aimed at helping you pay your rent if you are unemployed or have insufficient income. The eligibility requirements for claiming Housing Benefit include the following:

  • Being aged over the state pension age (65 years for men and 66 for women)
  • Living in supported, sheltered, or temporary housing

You will not be able to claim Housing Benefit if:

  • You are a tenant of a government department (or Crown Tenant)
  • You are residing on the property of a close relative
  • Your savings exceed £16,000 (unless you are eligible for claiming Guaranteed Pension Credit with savings of over £16000)
  • You are residing in the UK as a “refugee”(have fled your home country and are unable to return fearing persecution which may include physical violence, torture and unlawful detention)
  • Being sponsored by a friend, family member or business associate for being in the UK
  • You are living in the UK as a jobseeker from the EU or European Economic Area (27 EU countries  plus Iceland. Liechtenstein and Norway)
  • You are under immigration control and you have been granted leave to enter the UK (for a limited period) under Section 3ZA of the Immigration Act 1971. This leave or clearance which you have been given permits you to maintain and accommodate yourself without using any “public funds”. Sections 3 and 4 of the Immigration Act 1971 may also impose a limitation on your ability to obtain employment or occupation in the United Kingdom.

Citations

The Council Tax (Reduction for Disabilities) Regulations 1992