Council Tax

April 2011 – March 2012

How Your Money is Spent

You can also download this information as a PDF leaflet  2.35 MB

Message from the Executive Leader, Councillor Kieran Quinn

This booklet gives you the information on council tax, business rates, how the council is funded and how it spends its budget. 

You will also find advice on what to do if you need help paying your bill.

We are statutorily obliged to send you this information. However, this year we have combined all the leaflets and guidance into this single booklet 2.35 MB , which we hope is easier to read, and understand. Importantly it has also cost us £10,000 less to produce.

These are difficult financial times, with our local economy still fragile, and youth unemployment a real cause for concern. In 2011/12 Tameside council must save £35 million as part of the governments reduction in public sector funding.

By listening to you, we have been able to prioritise our spending on the services that you feel are the most important, including tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, supporting the local economy, creation of new jobs, and protecting front line services for the old and most vulnerable in our communities.

Independent assessments of our performance continue to rate our services amongst the best in the country, and once again we have received top marks for delivering value for money. These austere times mean that it has never been more important to ensure that we make your money work harder than ever for the benefit of our borough.

Whilst the financial challenges that we face are stark, there is much to look forward to in the coming year including:

• The first of our new Building Schools for the Future secondary schools will open. We are now on-site at 10 locations and these state of the art facilities will help us improve further the educational attainment of our children and young people.
• The Tameside Works First initiative will continue to support our local economy, and in particular, small to medium sized businesses. We will be working with our partners to both encourage young people to take-up apprenticeships as a future career, and employers to create more opportunities.
• Stamford Park is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment thanks to lottery money and we will be representing the UK in the European “In Bloom” competition later in the summer.
• We are introducing a new £500,000 “You Choose” fund that local community and residents groups will be able to bid into for funding all manner of projects and initiatives.
• We will be launching the “Tameside Spring Clean Challenge” which will encourage everyone to get involved in making our borough an even cleaner, brighter and a more attractive place to live and work.

The coming year will be a difficult one, with some tough decisions to take, but we are committed to protecting front line services and jobs. In doing this we will also continue to provide our residents with the best value for money services possible.

The Tameside Way

Tameside is facing tough financial challenges and I am confident and proud to say that we will continue to meet these challenges head-on. Along with our partners we will be supporting our local economy, improving the health and wellbeing of our residents, improving the life chances and aspirations of our younger generations through better education and making our 9 towns, villages and local areas even cleaner, brighter and more attractive. I believe in social fairness and that together we can all help to make Tameside an even better place to live work and play in.

• How to pay your bill
• Appeals
• Discounts
• Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit
• How we deal with benefit cheats
• Changed your circumstances?
• Electronic billing
• Getting help to pay your bill
• How your Council Tax is calculated
• How your money is spent

How to pay your bill

Direct Debit

Direct Debit is our preferred method of collecting your Council Tax or Business Rates. It is cost-effective, efficient and couldn’t be simpler. Just contact us with your bank details or print and complete a direct debit instruction from the Council’s website at www.tameside.gov.uk/payments  

Online Payments

You can pay online using your credit / debit card through our secure website at: www.tameside.gov.uk/payments  

Telephone Payments

Payments by debit/credit card can be made on our 24-hour payment line  0161 342 4297.

Standing Orders

Council Tax or Business Rates payments can be made by standing order at your bank. See the back of your bill for further details.

Payments can also be made at:

• The Post Office
• At any pay point or pay zone outlet, using your card or Council Tax or Business Rates bill

Full payment details can be found on the back of your Council Tax or Business Rates bill.

Appeals

Property Bands

You may appeal against your property banding where:

• You believe that the banding should be changed because of an increase or reduction in the value of the property due to building work being carried out on the dwelling, i.e. demolition, extensions or converting the property from houses to flats;
• You adapt part of your dwelling for business use and it is entered into the Non Domestic Rating list;
• The listing officer has altered a list without a proposal having been made by a taxpayer;
• Physical changes in the locality affecting value; or within 6 months of the following: A band change to your property made by the listing officer; a band change made to a similar property to yours has been made by a tribunal or court; you have become a taxpayer at the property in the last 6 months.

Reductions or increases in value resulting from the general state of the housing market do not affect the banding of your property.

Your appeal should be sent to:

The Listing Officer
Council Tax North
Valuation Office Agency
King William House
Market Place
Hull
HU1 1RT

Council Tax

You may also appeal if you think that you are not liable to pay Council Tax, for example, because you are not the owner, or because the property is exempt, or you believe that we have made a mistake in calculating your bill. If you wish to appeal on these grounds you must first notify us in writing so that we have the opportunity to reconsider the case. Please write to:

Tameside Revenues Division
Council Offices
Wellington Road
Ashton-under-Lyne
OL6 6DL. 

Making an appeal does not allow you to withhold payment of Council Tax. Payments should continue to be made in accordance with the instalments shown on your bill. If your appeal is successful you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid Council Tax.

Discounts

Full Council Tax assumes there are two adults living in the dwelling. If only one adult lives in a dwelling the Council Tax will be reduced by 25%.

If a dwelling is no one’s sole or main home then the bill will be reduced by 50%.

Some people are not counted when looking at the number of adults resident in a property if they meet certain
conditions. People eligible for discounts are:

• full-time students, student nurses, apprentices earning less than £195 per week, youth training trainees and initial teacher-training trainees
• patients resident in hospital
• people who are being looked after in care homes
• people who are severely mentally impaired
• people staying in certain hostels or night shelters
• 18 to 19-year-olds who are at, or have just left, school
• care workers earning less than £44 per week
• people caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner or child under 18
• members of visiting forces and certain international institutions
• members of religious communities (monks and nuns)
• people in prison (except those in prison for non-payment of Council Tax or a fine)
• diplomats and members of international organisations headquartered in the UK, and their non-British spouses.
  

For further information visit www.tameside.gov.uk/counciltaxdiscounts.

Disability Reduction

If you or someone who lives with you (adult or child) has a room or an extra bathroom or kitchen, or extra space in your property to meet special needs arising from a disability, you may be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax.

The bill may be reduced to that of a band immediately below that shown on the valuation list. If your home is in band A you will already be in the lowest Council Tax band. However, you may still qualify for a reduction of 1/9th of the value of band D. Contact us for further advice on 0161 342 2015.

Forms are also available on the Council’s website www.tameside.gov.uk/counciltax/disability

If your bill indicates that a discount, exemption, or disability reduction has been allowed, you must tell Tameside Council within 21 days of any change in circumstances which affects your entitlement to this discount. If you fail to do so you may be required to pay a penalty of £70.

Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit

Am I eligible to claim?

You may be able to claim Council Tax Benefit if your income is low. This can reduce all or part of your Council Tax bill.

Do I qualify?

To work out how much Council Tax Benefit you are entitled to, we look at things such as:

• Your family circumstances
• The money you have coming in
• Any benefits you get
• Any savings you have
• The amount of your Council Tax bill Council Tax Benefit is not only for people out of work. Many people in work and especially working families miss out every year so don’t be one of them.

To find out if you can claim Council Tax Benefit visit our benefits calculator at www.tameside.gov.uk/counciltaxbenefit

How do I claim?

If you claim Employment Support Allowance, Income Support or Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, you can claim Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit at the same time.

You can complete an application form electronically by visiting our website www.tameside.gov.uk/counciltaxbenefit

When should I claim?

You should claim these benefits as soon as you think you need to, because benefits cannot normally be backdated.

If you are not sure whether your income is low enough for you to be entitled to benefits, you should claim anyway.

Alternatively you can check your entitlement at www.tameside.gov.uk/counciltaxbenefit

What other benefits are available?

There is an alternative to Council Tax Benefit called Second Adult Rebate, which you can claim if someone else lives with you other than your partner, is over the age of 18 and on Income Support.

Should you be entitled to Council Tax Benefit based on your own income and be entitled to Second Adult Rebate, the council will pay the higher of the two claims.

For further information visit www.tameside.gov.uk/secondadultrebate 

N.B. You do not need to complete a new application if you are already in receipt of benefit. Your benefit should automatically be calculated and shown on your bill. If not, contact the Benefits Section using the details at the back of the booklet.

How we deal with benefit cheats

Benefit fraud affects everyone. People who make fraudulent benefit claims are not just cheating the system - they are cheating the whole community.

The Council has a dedicated benefit fraud investigation team, committed to the prevention, detection and deterrence of false claims. Report anyone that you suspect is committing benefit fraud directly to the benefit fraud team on 0161 342 3191, online at www.tameside.gov.uk/benefitfraud  or email the benefit fraud investigation team. Alternatively, call the benefit fraud hotline freephone on  0800 328 6340.

All allegations are treated in the strictest confidence. You do not have to tell us your name.

Please provide as much information and detail as possible, as the more information we are given, the more likely it is that the investigation will have a successful outcome.

The Council will take necessary and appropriate action against any person who has committed benefit fraud, which includes prosecuting benefit cheats. In some cases, the Council will take action to remove the proceeds of benefit fraud crime by pursuing a confiscation of assets.

Contact us now – all reports will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Remember, benefit fraud is a crime.

No If’s, No Buts, The Council is Targeting Benefit Thieves.

Changed your circumstances?

Please tell us immediately of any changes in your circumstances, which may affect your Council Tax liability.

These are some of the changes that should be reported:

• If you move house.
• Someone comes to live with you.
• Someone leaves your property.
• If you feel you should be entitled to a discount or any of the exemptions.
• If you cease to be employed or start work.

I am moving house

Please contact the area helpline on  0161 342 2015 to provide details or complete the on-line form at www.tameside.gov.uk/counciltax/movinghome

Electronic Billing

The Council is continually aiming to improve its services to you.

Electronic Billing will be introduced shortly. This is a more effective and efficient way to receive your Council Tax bill.

If you would like to receive your Council Tax bill by email rather than post, please send your details by email to the address shown at the top of your bill.

Your email should include the following:

• Your name
• Full postal address
• Council tax reference

Getting help to pay your bill

If you find monthly payments difficult, you can arrange to pay your bill weekly or fortnightly.

If you choose this method you will need to notify us so that we can amend your instalment details.

If you are experiencing difficulties, please make early contact with us by using the contact details at the back of this booklet. We will check that your bill is correct, and identify any reductions you may be entitled to that you have not claimed.

Detailed on the right are other agencies, which offer free advice if you are experiencing financial difficulties:

For Help with Money Problems:

Money Information Network Tameside
Tel: 0161 331 2456
www.mintameside.org.uk

Community Legal Advice
Tel: 0845 345 4345
www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk

For Help with Housing Matters:
Housing Options
Tel: 0161 331 2700
www.tameside.gov.uk/housing/options

Shelter
Tel: 0844 515 1640
http://england.shelter.org.uk

How your Council Tax is calculated

Most dwellings will be subject to Council Tax. There will be one bill per dwelling whether it is a house, bungalow, flat, maisonette, mobile home or houseboat, and whether it is owned or rented. The District Valuer has allocated each property to one of eight valuation bands according to its market value on 1st April 1991.

This table details the amount of Council Tax payable by band, including Mossley Parish precept.

How your money is spent 

Net Expenditure after Income by Service

How the tax is calculated

How the Council Tax is made up

Planned Capital Expenditure 2011/2012

Reason for the Decrease

People Employed by Tameside Council, Full Time Equivalent Numbers

External Borrowing

At 31 March 2010 the Council had borrowings of £175 million, raised to finance capital spending.