Council tax is a priority debt and the income is used to fund essential services across the city so we take prompt action to recover unpaid taxes should an account fall in to arrears.
However, we understand that some of our customers are struggling with financial difficulty and therefore we want to ensure that you are receiving the help you need and are not paying unnecessary council tax.
Make sure you are paying the right amount. If you are eligible for any discount or exemption, please check that this is shown on your council tax bill as a reduction, for example, if you are the only person aged 18 years or over in your home, you may receive a 25% single person discount.
Reductions available on a property you live in
If you are on a low income or you claim benefits, you could be eligible for Council Tax Support (CTS) to reduce the amount of council tax you have to pay. The amount of help you could receive is based mainly on who lives with you and the total amount of money you have coming into your household. Even if you own your own home, you may still be able to receive help with your council tax.
If you think that you have paid more than the amount shown on your council tax bill, please provide details of the payments you have made, as well as copies of any receipts or bank statements to verify the payments made.
Once you have checked your bill and have applied for any applicable reductions, if you still think you have been charged incorrectly, you should complete our enquiry form providing as much detail as possible.
Please note you should not withhold payment whilst disputing liability for council tax or awaiting a reduction to be granted. You must still pay the amount due as detailed on your council tax bill whilst we look into the matter to avoid further recovery notices being issued or additional costs being incurred.