Council Tax Lump Sum Discount

Appeals

Appeals to amend your property band can only be made if:

• the value has altered due to a physical change to the property

• the property has started to be used or stopped being used for business purposes

• a house has been converted into fats or vice versa

• you have become the tax payer of the property within the past six months.

If you wish to appeal or request a change to your valuation band and would like more information, please contact The Valuation Offce Agency (free of charge) at: www.voa.gov.uk email ctsouth@voa.gsi.gov.uk or call 03000 501501

They are located at 1 Ruskin Square, Dingwall Road, Croydon CR10 2WF. This is a free service and while any appeal is in progress, you still need to pay your Council Tax as shown on your bill. If successful, your bill will be amended and you can request a refund of any overpayment.

Payment by Direct Debit

Direct Debit is an easy way to pay and you can choose an instalment date of either the frst, ffteenth or twenty frst of each month. Once set up, payments are made automatically so you don’t have to worry and we will give you notice of any changes to the payments you make.

It’s easy to start paying by Direct Debit, no need to fll out any forms, just set up a My Havering account by going to www.havering. gov.uk/myhavering You will then be able to set up your Direct Debit online and you can also report a change of address, apply for or cancel a single resident discount, request a copy bill and much more.

Alternatively you can set up payments by Direct Debit without registering for MyHavering account by visiting www.havering.gov. uk/ctaxdirectdebit

Council Tax payers fnding it hard to Pay

Residents on a low income who are struggling to pay their Council Tax may be entitled to Council Tax Support. You can make a claim at www.havering.gov.uk/ counciltaxsupport

To help with the cost of living, visit www.havering. gov.uk/costofiving. There are lots of useful ideas for people of all income groups to help make your fnances go further.

Other ways to pay your Council Tax

Visit www.havering.gov.uk/ counciltax to pay by Debit Card.

For internet and telephone payments (0300 456 0630 open 24 hours a day) you will need the following:

- Payee Name: London Borough of Havering

- Sort Code: 62-00-44 and Account Number: 14871734.

- Your Council Tax account number

Your Council Tax instalments are due on the frst of every month, unless you pay by Direct Debit. You must ensure your payments reach us by the due dates and we may help remind you by sending an SMS message. We will only send you one reminder letter for late payment and legal action will be taken against those who do not pay or continually pay late which will involve costs.

How is Council Tax spent?

Havering Council uses Council Tax money to fund local services you use such as Planning & Economic Development, Highways & Car Parking, Education, Refuse Collection & Waste Disposal, Environmental Health, Housing (General Fund only), Leisure & Recreation, Social Services and other services.

Some of the money is used regionally for funding the police, the fre brigade and Transport for London. We also contribute to the following levy bodies: East London Waste Authority, the Environment Agency (Thames and Anglian Eastern Region), Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, and the London Pensions Fund Authority; For more information on levying bodies, see pages 20-25. For a full breakdown of how we spend Council Tax go to www.havering.gov.uk/ counciltax

Help for people in fnancial diffculty

If you are having problems paying your Council Tax please contact us straightaway to avoid costs being added. Council Tax is usually paid over 10 monthly instalments from April to January but you can request to pay over 12 months from April to March. This will reduce the amount of your monthly payments but it means that you will not have a break before the start of the following fnancial year. Please note that instalments will still be due on the frst of the month unless you are paying by Direct Debit. You can apply online by completing the Payment Arrangement request form www.havering.gov.uk/ ctarrange

Help for people with disabilities

If you, or anyone who lives with you, is disabled and needs a specially adapted room (not a bathroom, kitchen or lavatory), an extra bathroom or kitchen, or a wheelchair is used in the home by the disabled person then you may be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax.

If any special features have been added to your home for a disabled resident which increases the property’s value, the valuation band should not refect that increase.

If you think you meet the criteria for a reduction you can apply online at www.havering.gov.uk/ctdr

If you feel that the band on your bill is incorrect, please contact the Valuation Offce Agency at www.voa.gov.uk or call 03000 501501

Discounts and exemptions

Discounts

The full Council Tax bill assumes that at least two adults are living in a property. If there is only one adult residing in the home, the bill is reduced by 25 per cent. Some people are not included when counting the number of adult residents. These include people who are under 18, full-time students, student nurses, apprentices, youth training trainees, non-British spouses/ dependents of students (who are not allowed to work or claim beneft), those for whom child beneft is paid, school leavers, certain care workers who live in the property, severely mentally impaired, long-term hospital patients, nursing home patients, members (and dependents) of visiting armed forces, members (and dependents) of international headquarters or defence organisations, members of religious communities, care workers, people caring for someone with a disability who is in receipt of certain benefts but is not their partner or under 18, prisoners, residents of hostels for the homeless and foreign diplomats.

Please note that this is only a summary of the discounts that are available; for full details or to apply, please go to www.havering.gov.uk/ counciltax

Any existing discount entitlement is shown on your bill but you must tell the Council within 21 days about any changes of circumstances that may affect it or you may be subject to a fne.

Note: We will monitor discounts and exemptions and conduct reviews to make sure the reduction still applies. This may involve external organizations..

Annexes

An annexe is a building, or part of a building, which has been constructed or adapted for use as separate living accommodation.

An annexe can qualify for a 50 per cent Council Tax discount where: it is being used by the resident of the other part of the property as part of their sole or main residence and is otherwise unoccupied, or it is occupied by a relative of the person liable to pay Council Tax in the other part of the property.

Annexes will continue to be exempt where they are empty but cannot be let separately from the rest of the property or where they are occupied by elderly or disabled relatives (see Exempt Properties below). For further details or to apply, please go to www.havering.gov.uk/ counciltax

Empty Properties Surcharge

From 1 April 2019, properties will be charged 200 per cent of the Council Tax where they have been unoccupied and unfurnished for more than two years. This is unless:

• The owner who would occupy the property is living in armed forces accommodation that is job-related or

• The property is an annexe used by the resident of the main property.

Since April 2013, there have been no reductions for empty properties unless specifc criteria are satisfed (see Exempt Properties below).

Exempt properties

Some properties are exempt from Council Tax. These include properties that are unoccupied and:

• owned and last used by a registered charity and last lived in less than six months ago

• were lived in by people now in prison or otherwise legally detained

• were lived in by people now permanently in a hospital or care home

• have remained unoccupied since the death of the sole owner (the exemption does not apply where there is another existing occupier) and less than 6 months have passed since the grant of probate or letters of administration

• the law prevents anyone living there

• held vacant for a Minister of Religion

• were lived in by people now receiving personal care in a place other than a hospital or care home

• were lived in by people now living elsewhere to provide personal care

• were lived in by students who also own the property

• have been repossessed

• have been left by someone who has become bankrupt

• are vacant caravan pitches or boat moorings

• are annexes that cannot be let separately from the main house.

Also exempt are occupied properties that are:

• student halls of residence

• only lived in by students

• Ministry of Defence barracks and married quarters

• visiting forces accommodation

• only lived in by people under the age of 18

• lived in only by people who are severely mentally impaired and they are liable to pay the Council Tax

• lived in by foreign diplomats

• annexes occupied only by elderly or disabled relatives of those living in the rest of the property

For full details or to apply please visit www.havering. gov.uk/counciltax

If your property is no longer exempt, you must tell us within 21 days of the change or you may incur a fne.

If you think you should not pay Council Tax because:

• your property should be exempt

• you are not the resident or the owner

• you should receive a discount

• a mistake has been made in your bill

You can contact us by completing our online council tax general enquiry form which can be found at www.havering.gov.uk/ counciltaxenquiry

If you disagree with our decision you can appeal to the Council. If, after receiving the Council’s decision, you remain dissatisfed, you have a further right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal

Second Floor

120 Leman Street, London E1 8EU www.valuationtribunal.gov. uk/

Any appeal must be made in writing within two months of the Council’s decision.

Fraud prevention

The Council has a duty to protect the public funds it administers and may use information that you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other organisations responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes. For further information see www.havering.gov.uk/ fairprocessing

Benefts advice

We want to ensure that residents get all the benefts they are entitled to. Go to www.havering.gov.uk/ benefts and complete the online benefts application form. Housing Beneft and Universal Credit can help you pay your rent, and Council Tax Support could help pay some of your Council Tax bill. The amount you could receive depends on your income, circumstances and how much Council Tax you pay.

Second adult rebate for pension age residents only

You may be entitled to a second adult rebate if you are of pension age and

• you do not have a partner or your partner is not counted for Council Tax purposes (see Discounts on pages 11-13)

• you do not qualify for Council Tax Support or your support is less than 25 per cent of your Council Tax bill

• you have other adults who are on a low income living in your property

To fnd out more and see if you are eligible, visit www.havering.gov.uk/ benefts

How the Council Tax is made up

Details of the 2023 – 2024 budget

The Council Tax for band D properties has been set at £2,088.13

The make up of this change is shown below. (The table shows what we will spend the money on with a comparison to fgures for 2022-2023).

Why

did our spending change?

Following consultation with the residents of the borough, Havering’s spending will total £182.0m.

2022/2023 Budget £172.9m