Council Tax For A 17 Year Old

[cottonbud]

My daughter was kicked off her college course for bad attendance in Dec 2013 and child benefit and tax credit was stopped as well. She was 18 at the end of August and the local council have just sent me a bill that has been adjusted because "from 06/01/2014 a child is now treated as no longer being your dependant", they have back dated the claim from 6th Jan to end of Aug 2014, when she was still 17. I understand paying more when she turned 18 but to back date it to Jan seems totally unfair, I have googled for 2 days now and according to the CAB website, anyone under the age of 18 is excluded from paying council tax. I am going to appeal the Jan to Aug back date, i wondered if anyone can tell me if there is some area here that a 17 year old does have to pay the tax, as i can't find this info anywhere on the web,as it keeps coming up that anyone under the age of 18 is exempt, your help would be very much appreciated

[jackthehat]

I'd cancel my DD with my bank immediately.....making sure that my current regular amount was paid, and pay it manually until such a time this was resolved properly.

[cottonbud]

hc i so hope thats the case i really do, as this is making me ill

[hc4361]

Just to clarify, you are referring to the single person's 25% discount?

[bednobs]

?can't you get her to pay after all it's her that's lost you your dingle person discount.

[cottonbud]

hc the bill is showing the 25% discount i did get (up to a certain date) and then they state that from another date there is an extra payment to be made - "reason for bill - local support adjustment", the letter accompanying states that i will need to pay for her from jan, its all really confusing.

[hc4361]

Nobody should pay until she reached the age of 18, even if was earning a huge salary.

I wish you luck with it all.

[cottonbud]

thank you all so much, hopefully i will be able to actually get some much needed sleep tonight, i think you lot are totally wonderful :-)

[Buenchico]

The key to what it's all about is in that phrase "local support adjustment".

As you, and everyone else, have found, you were entitled to a 25% discount in your Council Tax Bill (as the sole adult occupier) up until your daughter turned 18. You've been given that and it's removal (which never occurred prior to August anyway) is NOT the reason for your revised bill.

You obviously also claim for Council Tax Support, which replaced Council Tax Benefit and is administered locally (which is why there's a reference to 'local support' on your bill). The level of support you receive depends upon your family circumstances, such as your household income and the number of dependants that you have. What the council have said is that, since your daughter is over school-leaving age and no longer in full-time education she ceases to be regarded as your dependant.

So you've NOT lost your single-occupier Council Tax reduction (up until August). You HAVE lost some (or all) of your Council Tax Support, for what appears to be a perfectly valid reason.

To put some figures on that:
Someone might have a 'full' Council Tax bill for their property of £1000 per year but, because they're the only adult in the house, that's brought down by 25% to £750 per year. They then apply for Council Tax Reduction and the council reduce the bill by a further two thirds, bringing it down to just £250 per year. However that discount was based upon the occupier having a dependant child to care for. Once that child ceases to become 'dependent', because they're no longer in full-time education, the council reduces the support provided, possibly by halving it, and bring the bill back up to £500 per year.

Any clearer now?