Council Tax Single Person Discount review to take place in Boston Borough

Posted on Wednesday 29 November, 2023

Residents are being urged to tell Boston Borough Council if they are claiming Single Person Council Tax discount they are no longer entitled to.

The Borough Council gives a 25 per cent discount to 9,825 households where there is only one adult resident at the property. In the last financial year, this totalled more than £3.8million.

The Council will soon be working with a third party to compare its council tax information with other databases. This will identify those cases where more than one adult is living at an address and a discount is being claimed.

Cllr Sandeep Ghosh, Portfolio Holder for Finance at Boston Borough Council, said: "We know that the majority of our residents who are claiming single-person discounts do so honestly and legitimately, however, there are times when circumstances change and people forget to tell us their discount should end. There will also, unfortunately, be a minority who do attempt to defraud the system.

"We will shortly be sending a letter to residents in receipt of the single-person discount. We will be asking them to confirm their current circumstances. Residents can respond via text, online, or by returning the form to the address provided. It is a legal requirement for council tax payers to tell us within 21 days if they think they should no longer qualify for a discount. If you receive a discount you think you are no longer entitled to, this is your chance to tell us before we contact you.

"We are obliged to amend any records we find to be incorrect, back to the date of the change. This means that householders do not benefit from withholding information from us, and it makes the system fairer for everyone. It could mean some households will find they have a considerable amount of council tax arrears to pay.

"While we are reviewing the incorrect discounts granted, we are still keen to make sure that everyone gets the reductions they are entitled to. You should contact us if you think you should qualify for any discounts and exemptions."

Residents can contact Boston Borough's Council Tax team via email at revs@boston.gov.uk  or by phone on 01205 314000. For more information about the available discounts and exemptions, householders can check our website www.boston.gov.uk/CouncilTaxReductions