Council tax - checks on single person discounts and vacant dwellings
Posted on Friday 28th August 2015
Council tax payers in Newport who receive a 25 per cent reduction on their bill as single occupancy residents are reminded that they must notify the council of any change in circumstances.
Newport City Council is keen to support those who are genuinely entitled to discounts and exemptions, especially in these trying economic times.
However, those who wrongly claim reductions place a financial burden on all other council taxpayers.
The reductions are applied based on information provided by residents, but will soon be checked by the council to make sure that the reductions are correct.
These checks form part of Newport City Council's measures to prevent and detect fraud and to also protect the public purse.
Capita Local Government Services has been appointed to carry out a comprehensive review. They will work with Equifax, the credit reference agency using up-to-the-minute data-matching technology to identify where people are claiming discounts that they are not entitled to. The review will also extend to dwellings for which exemptions or discounts are being claimed on the basis that they are vacant.
The review, involving around 13,000 taxpayers, follows a similar project carried out in 2013 which identified around £310,000 worth of incorrect discounts being claimed.
Any taxpayers currently receiving an exemption or a discount which they feel may not be correct are urged to contact Newport City Council on 01633 656656 before the full review begins in September.
For more information visit www.newport.gov.uk/counciltax