How Can I Avail the Walsall Council Tax Single Person Discount?

This blog answers the question “How can I avail the Walsall council tax single person discount?” It considers that the same conditions that apply to single-person occupancy all over the UK also apply to Walsall Council Tax. 

How Can I Avail the Walsall Council Tax Single Person Discount?

You can only avail the Walsall single-person discount (25%off)  under the following circumstances:

• You are a lone parent living with your children who are all aged under 18 or are just living by yourself

The following people are not counted as adults for council tax purposes:

• Full-time students, including student nurses

• People aged 18 or over, entitled to child benefit

• Apprentices

• Care providers ( A person who lives in a household and gives or receives care for at least 35 hours a week)

• Members of a visiting armed force

• Foreign language assistants, registered with the British Council

• Member of a religious community (dependant on the community for the provision of his/her material needs)

• Spouses of students who are not British citizens

• Diplomats (people with diplomatic immunity)

• Patients in a hospital or care home (that have been there for at least 52 weeks or have moved in on a permanent basis)

• Severely mentally impaired

• People in home detention

So if the person living with you belongs to any of the aforementioned cases, you are the only person being counted for council tax purposes and get a 25% discount in Walsall Council.

You can write an email to counciltax@walsall.gov.uk

stating your details and asking to get a 25% reduction in your next bill 

Can I add and remove people from my council tax bill simultaneously and if a mentally impaired resident moves out and another one moves in to take his place, will I still count as living alone?

Yes, of course, you can add and remove residents simultaneously from your council tax bill. In the case that they are both severely mentally impaired and proven so by a medical practitioner, you will get the same tax reduction as before (around 50% of the bill).

In your case, as you were getting the Single Person Discount, this tax reduction will still be applicable to your bill. Mentally impaired persons are disregarded when living with one other person, who pays the council tax bill.

Am I eligible for claiming the Single Person Discount in Walsall Council if my property has been damaged by fire?

Yes, if your property is still occupiable and can be economically repaired, the Single Person Discount (a tax reduction of 25%) still applies to it.

But if the fire has damaged your residence so badly that it is rendered uninhabitable, you will end up being given the Discretionary Hardship Award under Section 13 A to help you cover the costs of council tax.

 The repairs to be conducted to restore your property (to make it occupiable) must be clearly mentioned in your application and so should the expenses you have already made to fix it.

These unforeseen circumstances will make you eligible for the Discretionary Hardship Award if you can prove that there is no other source of income or savings or council tax benefits that you can use to cover the costs of your tax bill.

Before applying for the Discretionary Hardship Allowance (which must be a last resort) you can apply to the Valuation Office Agency for changing the band your property is currently in for calculating council tax. 

This change in rateable value (which is the rental value of a property if it was rented on the basis that the tenant pays for all the repairs for your property) will be made only if the property is so uneconomic to repair that its major structure has been damaged and it could only be restored to its former state by spending a substantial amount of money.

You will still be allowed to claim the Single Person Discount if your property is damaged beyond repair, once the expenses for its furnishing have been covered (through benefits support or your own spending). It will probably remain empty in the interim period (12 months or more) and you might be granted a complete exemption from council tax.

Once it is habitable again, former council tax rules and allowances will apply to your bill.

If I am living with someone who gets the (Walsall) Single Person Discount on their primary residence and spends 1 month of the year with me, do I still qualify as living alone?

Yes, you are still eligible to receive the Single Person Discount if another adult or pensioner occupies your property for less than 6 weeks a year. This also means that your home is their second residence and does not affect your claim for the Walsall Council Single Person Discount,

They will continue to receive their 25% discount for living alone in their primary residence (in Walsall) and you will get a 25% reduction on your council tax bill.

Will my Single Person Discount be canceled if my relative moves in with me permanently during the year?

Yes, your Single Person Discount will not be applicable once your relative moves in with you. Council tax should be informed immediately of this change in circumstances ( as the income of the new cohabitant will alter your tax entitlement).

If you fail to inform the Department for Work and Pensions of this relative moving in with you within the course of the year, they will still recover the underpaid council tax from you as fines at the end of the year.

Will I qualify for the Single Person Discount if I divorce my spouse and the property remains in my ownership?

Yes, if your circumstances or status changes from being a single person from being married, you will be eligible to receive the Walsall Council Single Person Discount . Until the property is owned by you and your spouse jointly, neither of you is eligible for the Single Person Discount.

You will need to provide proof of your separation and mention the date from which your spouse has moved out.

Will I not remain eligible for the Single Person Discount if I decide to marry my care provider, who is also the only one living with me?

You will not be able to receive the Single Person Discount once you are engaged with your care provider (who was not being counted as a resident previously). Now the property will be jointly owned by both you and your spouse and so her income will also be counted on your council tax bill.

I had been receiving the Married Person’s Allowance in conjunction with my spouse for the past 10 years. Now my spouse has died and I live alone, can I claim the Walsall Council Single Person Discount?

Yes, you can claim the Walsall Council Single Person Discount now.. Getting the Married Person’s Allowance for the past 10 years does not affect your chances of getting the Single Person Discount now as you qualify to live alone. If you were receiving the Married Person’s Allowance, you will now be getting both these benefits for this year, as the death of your spouse still entitles you to receive the allowance for this year.

As long as you continue to live alone and your circumstances do not change, you will continue to be eligible to get the Single Person Discount for Walsall Council (which is a 25% tax reduction). Whereas the Married Person’s Allowance was income based support the Single Person Discount is fixed.

Is there a council tax exemption for a person who has died and was the only one living on the property?

Yes, the property is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied following the death of the owner. Following the granting of probate, another 6-month exemption is possible as long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold to someone else

Executors must inform council tax about:

• The date the probate is granted

• The details of the transfer of the property or the ending date of the tenancy

• Whether the estate is settled.

What is the Second Adult Rebate?

The Second Adult Rebate is a pension age tax support initiative which is calculated based on the number of other adults with little or no income, living on your property. These “second adults” can be a partner, a joint owner or tenant or someone who pays the rent for staying on your property.

The Second Adult Rebate tax discount may also be awarded to pension age claimants if their own income is considered too high for receiving council tax support such as State Pension Credit.

The Second Adult Rebate has 2 types:

• The Ordinary Second Adult Rebate, which is a 25% discount on your tax bill

• The Student Second Adult Rebate, which applies to pension age students living with “Second Adults” on a low income.

 These Second Adults must be getting one of the following benefits for the pension age student to qualify for this tax reduction. The Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit and Income Support.

In the Student Second Adult Rebate, the recipient can get a 100% council tax reduction

Conclusion

This blog post addressed the question “How can I avail the Walsall Council tax single person discount?” If you are the only person liable to be charged(counted) for Council tax living on your own property there is a 25% discount waiting for you. This tax benefit can be claimed by applying online or through the form via mail.

Please feel free to comment on the content or ask any questions in the comments section below :

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) : Can I avail the Walsall Council Tax Single Person Discount?

What income is taxable?

The following list includes income that is normally taxable:

• Wages and salaries including holiday pay, bonuses and leaves

• Profits from self-employment (above £1000)

• Pensions from occupational pensions, private pensions, personal pension plans or retirement annuity policies

• Benefits in kind

• Reimbursed expenses

• Redundancy payments (over ￡30000)

• Trust or settlement income
• Income paid to the estate of a deceased person

• Jurors financial loss allowance

• Payments to volunteers

• Pre owned assets

• Banks or building society interest

• Dividend from shares

• National Savings and Investment products

• Interest from saving deposits with credit unions

• Property letting

• Purchased annuities

• Taxable gains on life assurance policies

• UK government stocks

• UK unit trusts

Why has my parish charge increased?

Your Council only collects the Parish charge element on behalf of your council. You should contact the Parish Council for any details on increases.

What is the London Pension Funds levy and how much money does it raise?

The London Pension Funds Authority raises a levy each year to meet expenditure on premature retirement compensation and outstanding personal matters

The Greater London Levy is payable in all boroughs.

For 2022/23 the income to be raised is set out as follows:

• Inner London £13065200

• Greater London £10317753

• Total :£23382953