Council Tax Single Persons Discount Review

[Chelsea Blue]

As the title says, my mother who is 76 years old has been asked to carry out a review. (She currently pays nothing) She is worried sick because her son, my brother has used her address as a contact point since his wife chucked him out 2 years ago. He was thrown out on the street whislt his former wife stayed in the martial home (rented). He stayed with me for some time and at my sisters house also. As he did not have a permemant address, he used mums address for everything. eg. bank account, drivers licence, employer etc with post still going to mums..

Looking from the outside in and on the face of it, it does look like it was his place of residence but that has never been the case. He would only stay over at mums when he had the kids overnight, which was about once every fortnight if he was lucky.

He soon met someone new and stayed mostly at her address, who incidentally was paying full council tax, but was never declared as living there because of his physco ex wife. He didn't want her to spoil his new relationship, yet it was her desision in the first place, but that's another story.

 

 

So fast forward a year or so and now mum is worried sick.

 

 

She is so protective over all her chidren and especially the grand children and thought she was helping him out, but is now worried she will be in serious trouble.

 

 

How should mum handle this?

[ploddertom]

I'll move you to the Local Authority Forum where hopefully those well informed of this may be able to help.

[Chelsea Blue]

Thanks ploddertom, didn't spot that forum.

[outlawla]

Local authorities used to (and probably still do) pay £millions to opportunist companies like Experian to do checks to identify potential fraudulent single occupancy claimants by identifying post and for whose attention it is for as it seems might have happened in your case.

 

I should think it would just need explaining to the council, as you have in your original post, and add that whoever has made the checks needs to do a more thorough job and if you discover taxpayer's money has been wasted on Experian or some other opportunist company that they ask for the taxpayer's money back for doing an abysmal job.

[NoworNever]

Put yourself in the Council's shoes (they are ordinary people afterall). They will prob say that its not very believeable, which in fairness it isnt really..... Why wouldnt he live with his mum when he had nowhere else ? (assuming she has the room) All his paperwork went there, why not your house or his sisters or his girlfriends ? Does his new girlfriend claim SPD or Council Tax benefit or support ? - u could always get your mum to front it up and offer to pay the arrears (or get you brother to pay them). If you do dispute and the council does cancel the SPD the appeal would be to the tribunal

Edited June 18, 2015 by NoworNever

[Guest]

My son has always used my address for his post. He used to live with his grandmother for reasons of convenience, near to work and his friends etc. But she always used to open his post, mostly by habit of not checking who it was for ....but it infuriated him. All his mail then came to me and I would ring or text him when any came, he used to visit me about twice a month anyhow, and on these visits would collect his mail.

 

My local council tried this with me too, stating he must live with me if he uses my address...WRONG...that alone does not prove any such thing. I was able to supply the address where he lived, which wasnt checked or followed up on I will add, and they backed off. My son still uses my address as his contact address for the bank and the GP etc. He hasnt lived with me for 10yrs.