HELPING HAND
Martin Lewis Show – Money expert says 100,000 Brits are missing out on way to save money on council tax
MARTIN Lewis has revealed at least 100,000 people are missing out on a simple way to save money on council tax.
On last night's episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, the personal finance guru told viewers many Brits could be overpaying without even knowing it.
1
He told how if you - or someone you live with - has a disability, a health condition or is a carer, you could be paying more than is necessary on council tax.
Martin explained there's a 25% discount if you live with someone with a severe mental impairment (SMI).
If you have a severe mental impairment yourself and you live alone, you'll be eligible for a 100% discount.
An SMI is defined as a "severe permanent impairment of intelligence and social functioning", and is common due to dementia or strokes.
Most read in Money
These claims are also backdated - meaning you could get huge amounts back by contacting your council.
One viewer got £3,650 back for her dad, who lives alone with dementia.
It comes after one Martin Lewis fan explained how she got £4,000 in council tax refunds.
The fan, called Ali, said she got the payout after discovering she had been in the wrong council tax band for 12 years.
It meant she was paying way more than she should, as these bands determine how much you'll pay in tax.
Council tax bands are based on how much your property was worth on April 1, 1991 for England and Scotland, and April 1, 2003 for Wales.
Band A represents the lowest value of a home, while band H in England and Scotland and band I in Wales represents the highest value.
Anyone can challenge their council tax band - but it takes a bit of research and there's no guarantee you'll be successful. It could even backfire and get you moved to a higher band.
The first step is to check what council tax band your neighbours are on, based on houses that are similar in size and value.
This information is available online and is free to check, so you don't need to ask your neighbours in person.
Use the website to do this for houses in England, or the for properties in Scotland.
If you find you're on a higher council tax band compared to your neighbours, you may be able to successful make a challenge.
But before you do, another crucial check is to see how much your property was worth in 1991, as this is when council tax was launched by the government.
has a free calculator tool to help you do this.
To challenge your band, you have to contact the Valuation Office Agency if you live in England or Wales - or the Scottish Assessors Association if you live in Scotland.
These bodies decide which council tax band each home should be in.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
While you could get moved to a lower band and pay less, there's also the chance the VOA could find you're not paying enough.
This could mean you're moved to a higher band - and your neighbours' too.
Topics