I got a £7,500 refund on household bill and save £1,000 a year with Martin Lewis tip – I couldn’t believe it

A MARTIN Lewis fan has revealed how they got their £7,500 council tax refund and saved £1,000 a year.

In the latest MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) newsletter, a reader wrote to share their achievement.

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They explained they had seen a tip from Martin about checking if you are eligible for the council tax relief.

The reader wrote: “After reading your email about carer council tax relief I signed up and got 50% off as my daughter is also eligible for the ‘severe mental impairment’ discount. .

“We pay £1,000 less a year now and we’re also getting £7,500 back. Keep up the good work.”

Council tax is one of the biggest and most important family bills – if you’re late, you could be asked to pay it all year in advance.

Failure to pay can also result in the bailiff coming to your home, being sued in court, or even jailed.

But many people may not realize that they qualify for the discount, or even possibly pay off the balance in full.

If you are a carer and you live in the same property as a carer, you may be able to get a reduction or reduction in council tax.

You will qualify if you care for them at least 35 hours a week and the carer is entitled to certain benefits.

Including:

• Disability living allowance
• individual independent payment
• adult disability payment
• Child Disability Payment
• attendance allowance
• Armed Forces Forced to Pay Independently

If you live with someone who does not have to pay council tax, such as a carer or someone with severe mental impairment, you can also get a larger reduction, up to 50%.

Who is eligible for the council tax relief?

What support you can get depends on your situation and where you live, as each council decides what support to offer to people in its area.

Factors that will determine how much reduction you can get include your household income, whether you have children, and whether you receive any benefits.

The amount your bill is reduced can range from 25% to 100%, which means you pay nothing for this bill.

For example, people living in West Devon County can get up to 85% off their bills.

The average bill in Devon is £1,634, and if you qualify for an 85% discount you can get £1,388 on your annual bill payment.

Remember that the exact amount you can save depends on your bill and what your council has to offer.

You can check when you can get your council tax relief in our guide or contact your local council to check what support you can claim and apply for.

For more information on the different discounts available, check out our helpful guide here.

Council tax bills rose an average of 5.1% in April in the UK.

The average bill is now £2,065 in 2023-24 – an increase of £99 on the previous year.

The biggest annual percentage increase will be in London, where the average Group D property bill will increase by 6.2%.

What other support is available?

Single people

If you live alone, you can get 25% off your council tax bill.

This also applies if there is an adult and a student living together in the home, or if there is an adult and a person classified as severely intellectually impaired in the home.

And, if you live in an all-student household, you can get a 100% discount.

A complete list of council tax exemptions can be found on Citizens Advice.

retiree

Retirees may also find themselves eligible for council tax relief.

If you get the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit, you can get a 100% discount.

Otherwise, you can still get help if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.

And a pensioner living alone will also get 25% off.

Challenge your band

You can reduce the amount of council tax you pay by challenging your band.

Properties across the UK are classed in a range from A to H and this shows how much council tax you have to pay.

The bands were created based on property values ​​in 1991, so many households may find that based on current prices, they should be in a different band.

You should check yours to see if you can get a discount.

First, you need to find out which group you’re in.

You can find this out by checking with your local authority or on a postcode checker.

Use the council’s tax strip checker to see which strip properties are along your street.

If they are in a lower group than you, you can successfully take a challenge and lower your challenge.

How do I challenge it?

Contact with Appraisal office (VOA) in England and Wales or Scottish Association of Surveyors (SAA) in Scotland to do this.

Gather evidence that you are paying more – for example, this may have addresses of similar properties to yours in the lower range.

If VOA agrees that your property is in the wrong range, VOA will contact you to let you know your scope will be changed.

It can take up to two months for VOA to review your case.

But be warned – your band challenge may not work.

Although you may be moved to a lower group and pay less, there is also a chance that VOA may find that you are not paying enough.

This could mean you’ve been moved to a higher group – and so have your neighbors.

If you disagree with VOA’s decision, you can appeal your case – but only if you’ve been told you can do so upon receipt of the decision.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk