Valuation BandsCouncil tax affects most homes. There is onebill for each home, whether it is a house,bungalow, flat, maisonette, mobile home orhouseboat, and whether it is owned or rented.

The Government’s Valuer is responsible for categorisingeach home into one of eight bands according to itsopen market capital value at 1st April 1991:

Your council tax bill shows what band your home isin. If the valuation office has not yet banded yourhome because it is new, Lichfield District Council willuse a temporary band based on the purchase price.

Valuation Band Range of Values

Band A Up to & including £40,000

Band B £40,001 - £52,000

Band C £52,001 - £68,000

Band D £68,001 - £88,000

Band E £88,001 - £120,000

Band F £120,001 - £160,000

Band G £160,001 - £320,000

Band H More than £320,000

PaymentsYou may pay your bills in the following ways:

· by direct debit

· online at www.lichfielddc.gov.ukwith a debit or credit card

· at any post office using your swipe card

· by post

· by telephone on 0845 2340068with a debit or credit card

The back of your bill gives more details.

This leaflet contains useful information about your council tax:

· Council tax valuation bands · Exemptions· Discounts · Council tax benefit· How to challenge your property banding· How to appeal against a decision

Council TaxINFORMATION ABOUT YOUR

2010/2011

· needs or is having structural alterations

done or major repairs (exempt for a

period of up to twelve months)

· is owned by a charity(exempt for up to six months)

· is unfurnished(exempt for up to six months)

· is left empty by someone who hasgone into prison

· is left empty by someone who has moved to receive personal care in a hospital or care home

· is waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted(and for up to six months after)

· is empty because no one can live init by law

· is waiting to be occupied by a minister of religion

· is left empty by someone who has moved in order to provide personal care

· is left empty by someone who has moved in order to provide personal care to another person

. is left empty by students

. is an unoccupied annex which is part of another home and may not be let separately from that other home

. has been repossessed and is the responsibility of a bankrupt’s trustee

Your property may be exempt from council tax

Council tax is not charged on a property that is empty and falls into the

following categories:

Other properties are also exempt even when they are occupied, if they are:

. student halls of residence

. occupied only by students

. forces barracks and married quarters (their occupants will contribute to the cost of local services through a special arrangement)

. occupied by a member of visiting forces

. a dwelling consisting of a pitch or mooring which is not occupied by a caravan or boat

. occupied only by a person or persons aged under 18

. occupied only by a person/persons who is/are severely mentally impaired

. occupied by a diplomat

. an annex occupied by an elderly or disabled relative

You may be eligible for a discount

The full council tax bill assumes there are two adults living in your home.

If only one adult lives in a property (as their main home), the council tax bill

will be reduced by a quarter (25%). If a property is empty and is no-one’s

main home, the bill will be reduced by half (50%). Following changes to

council tax rules, from the 1st April 2007, if a property is your second home

the bill will be reduced by 10%, in certain circumstances a 50% reduction

will still apply to second homes.

People in the following groups do not count towards the number of

adults living in a dwelling:

. full time students, student nurses, apprentices and youth training trainees

. hospital in-patients

. people who are being looked after in care homes

. people who are severely mentally impaired

. people staying in certain hostels or night shelters

. 18 and 19 year olds who are at, or have just left, school and intend to

enrol for further education

. care workers working for low pay, usually for charities

. people caring for someone with a disability who is not their husband,

wife, partner or a child under 18

. people for whom child benefit is payable

. member and non-British dependants of visiting forces and certain

international HQs

. members of religious communities (monks and nuns)

. people in prison (except those in prison for non-payment of

council tax or a fine)

If you think you may be entitled to a discount please ask for an

application form from Lichfield Connects on 01543 308900.

If your bill shows that you are getting a discount, you must tell us about any

change of circumstances which affects your entitlement. If you do not you

may be fined.

What happens if I don’t paymy council tax?

Your council tax is payable on, or before, the dates

shown on your annual bill. If a payment is missed,

the council will issue a reminder notice. You will

have 7 days to bring your account up to date.

If you bring your account up to date, no further

action will be taken. If you don’t pay, your right to

pay by instalments will be withdrawn and the full

balance will become due within a further seven days.

No further or final notice will be issued. If your

account then remains unpaid, the council will request

that the Magistrates issue a court summons, costing

£60. This is a request for you to appear at court and

answer to the complaint that you have not paid

your council tax. The magistrates will then issue a

Liability Order, costing £25. This gives the council

the right to take further action to collect any money

outstanding. This may be an attachment on your

earnings or benefit, or to instruct a bailiff to collect

the arrears. (Bailiff charges will be added to your

account.) Ultimately the council can make an

application for you to be committed to prison.

A maximum of two reminders will be issued in each

financial year. If you fall behind a third time, your

right to pay by instalments will be withdrawn and a

final notice issued and recovery action will continue

as above.

If you are struggling to pay your council tax,

please contact Lichfield Connects on 01543

308900 to discuss your account.

If you would like to challenge yourproperty valuation banding

Property values are based upon values as at 1st April

1991 - recent selling prices are therefore not

necessarily the best evidence. Since 1st December

1993 there are only a few occasions when taxpayers

can challenge their banding, these include:

· after demolition

. conversions of houses to flats

. physical changes in the locality affecting value

and within six months of:

· band change to your property made by the

Listing Officer

· a band change to a similar property to yours

made by the court

· becoming a new taxpayer

If bandings are challenged, you must continue to pay

the current bill until any appeal is settled.

Full details are contained within the Local Government

Finance Act 1992 and Council Tax (Alteration of Lists

and Appeals) Regulations 1993.

More detailed information is available from the

Valuation Office Agency on 01782 298400.

If you would like to appeal against a decision of

the council, or because you think that you are

not liable - for example:

. you are not the resident or the owner

. your property is exempt

. we have made a mistake in working out your bill

You must write to us first so that we can consider

your case.

If you are disabled, or someonedisabled lives in your property

You may be entitled to a lower council tax bill if you, or

someone who lives with you needs a room, or an extra

bathroom or kitchen, or extra space in your property to

meet special needs arising from a disability. The bill may

be reduced to that of a property in the band below the

band shown on the valuation list. This is to make sure

that disabled people do not pay more tax because of

space needed because of a disability. If your home is in

Band A, you already are in the lowest council tax band

but you can still apply for a reduction.

Please ask for an application form from

Lichfield Connects on 01543 308900 if you

think you could qualify.

If you are on a low income

Council tax benefit is available to help people on low

incomes pay their council tax. There is also a scheme

called Second Adult Rebate. If you are not entitled to

council tax benefit in your own right because of your

income, but there is another adult in your house (not

your partner) and they are on a low income, we may be

able to work out your benefit using their gross income.

If you would like to claim either council tax

benefit or second adult rebate, please contact

Lichfield Connects for a claim form.

Instalment dates for council tax payment

The due date for council tax is the 8th of each month.

Starting on 8th April with the final payment due on,

or before, the 8th January of the following year.

If you pay by direct debit you can also choose to

pay on the 18th of each month.

Contact us

Please contact Lichfield Connects on01543 308900 if you:

· think your home may be exempt fromcouncil tax

. would like to apply for council tax benefit, disabled reduction or housing benefit

Or email us at: benefits@lichfielddc.gov.uk orrevenues@lichfielddc.gov.uk

Or write to us at:

Lichfield District Council, Finance, Revenues andBenefits Services, District Council House,Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6YX.

You may wish to contact your local CitizensAdvice Bureau at:

29 Levetts Field, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6HY.Telephone: 01543 252730

or Wade House, 7 Cannock Road, Burntwood,Staffordshire WS7 8JS. Telephone: 0844 856 3400

For council tax, benefitsand business rateenquiries for all areas 01543 308900

Recovery sectionenquires for all areas 01543 308885/7

Summonses and liabilityorders if you are havingtrouble paying your bill 01543 308885/7

Automated telephonepayments (24hr) 0845 234 0068

Your telephone call may be recorded fortraining/monitoring purposes.

You could be entitled to money towardsyour council tax.Thousands of pounds of benefits go unclaimedevery year in this country. Make sure you don’t missout on what you are entitled to.

It’s your right - claim it!

You can check if you may be entitled to benefitsusing our online benefits calculatorwww.lichfielddc.gov.uk/benefitscalculator

Benefit…it’s your right

If you are alreadyclaiming benefitRemember you must tell usabout any changes incircumstances straightaway.If you do not, you will bebreaking the law and the councilmay take action against you.

Help us prevent benefit fraudBenefit fraud is a crime. Why should you pay for it?If you have any information relating to a known or suspectedbenefit fraud please call:

National Fraud Hotline: 0800 854 440Local Fraud Hotline: 0800 783 1030Text phone users please call: 0800 328 6341

All calls and information will be treated in confidence.

Finance, Revenues and Benefits,District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield,

Staffordshire WS13 6YX.

Telephone: 01543 308900 Fax: 01543 309925

If you would like this leaflet in another format such as large print, please call 01543 308000.