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Single Person Discount Review

Published: 12/08/2014

Council Tax payers in Flintshire who receive a 25 per cent reduction on their bill as single occupancy residents will soon be checked to make sure the reductions are correct. Northgate Information Solutions UK Ltd, a leading service provider who specialise in these reviews, will now work in conjunction with Experian, a credit reference agency, using the latest data matching technology, to confirm the discount for genuine claimants and to identify people who are claiming a discount on their Council Tax when they are not entitled to it. At present, over 21,000 residents – nearly one in three households – claim the single person discount and while the vast majority of these residents are claiming the discount correctly, there may be cases where the Council have not been informed about a change in household occupancy, which affects the reduction, or a false claim has deliberately been made. Where incorrect claims are identified the Council will be ending the claims and seeking to reclaim the discount from an appropriate date. The latest review follows a similar project carried out in 2011-12, which identified around £190,000 worth of incorrect discounts being claimed. Any taxpayers currently receiving a discount that they feel may not be correct are urged to contact the Council Tax service straight away on 01352 704848 before the full review begins in early September.