Your Council Tax
2014/15 - ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED FOR THE COMING YEAR
Contents
What is Council Tax and who pays it?
3 |
What is Council Tax and who pays it?
The Police, fire and local services provided by
County and District councils are paid for by
Council Tax and Government grants, and in
some cases, through charges for services.
on unoccupied and unfurnished dwellings.
Discounts on empty property changed from
1st April 2013 and these are explained in more
detail on page 12.
4 |
How we set your Council Tax
6 |
Where your money goes
Council Tax is an annual charge based on
property values and, in this area, is collected by
Bassetlaw District Council on behalf of all four
organisations.
8 |
Your Council Tax by Parish or Town 2014 - 15
10|
Council Tax banding FAQs
Another change in 2013 was a new discount
scheme for people on low incomes. Over
10,200 Bassetlaw households qualified for
Council Tax reduction in its first year, but
everyone pays a contribution to their Council
Tax if they are working-age. This was part of
Government Welfare Reforms. More information
about Council Tax Reduction is on page 14.
11|
How to pay your Council Tax
12|
Discounts & Exemptions
14|
Council Tax Reduction
15|
Regeneration in North Nottinghamshire
17|
20|
AB
Getting help and contacting us
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
The Council identifies who is liable to pay
Council Tax and sends out a bill every year
in March. This can be paid over 10 or 12
instalments.
Council Tax payment is the responsibility
of owner-occupiers or, if rented, council
tenants, private tenants and tenants of
housing associations. Council Tax is also due
The amount of Council Tax for each dwelling
depends on the valuation band a property has
been placed in by the Government’s Valuation
Office Agency. This is explained more on page
10.
Where your money is spent?
Based on a Band A property, the following table shows how much of your Council Tax goes to each
authority.
Band A comparison
Last year
2013/14
This year
2014/15
The %
increase
Nottinghamshire
County Council
£795.45
£811.28
1.99%
Bassetlaw District
Council
£101.88
£103.41
1.50%
Notts Police
£113.10
£115.32
1.96%
Notts Fire and
Rescue Service
£46.46
£47.37
1.96%
Total
£1,056.89
£1,077.38
1.94%
01909 533 533
3
How we set your Council Tax
How Bassetlaw District Council sets your Council Tax
We first work out the Council’s budget requirement for 2014/15 (how much we need to run the services that Bassetlaw District Council provides)
Services provided by
Gross
Net
Bassetlaw District Council
Expenditure
Expenditure
£
£
Economic Regeneration
1,923,200
1,285,500
Planning & Building Control
2,514,800
1,117,200
Community Prosperity
4,438,000
2,402,700
Chief Executive Department
1,316,700
204,600
Corporate Management
1,017,400
674,800
Environment
7,743,500
4,189,400
Finance and Property
5,214,100
383,900
Housing
1,808,900
1,082,000
Leisure
3,491,900
2,949,700
Policy & Community Engagement
1,804,700
1,278,900
Revenues and Customer Services
34,044,800
839,300
Support Services
2,841,300
43,800
SERVICE TOTAL
63,721,300
14,049,100
Other budgets
4,591,000
1,102,900
Transfer to (+) from (-) reserves
0
-153,600
BUDGET REQUIREMENT
68,312,300
14,998,400
Net Expenditure
2013/14
£
1,153,400
1,443,400
2,596,800
224,700
785,100
4,126,800
791,800
1,278,900
2,981,900
1,160,600
867,900
143,700
14,958,200
1,001,700
0
15,959,900
Council Tax Requirement
Bassetlaw District Council
Total Parish requirement (49 precepts)
Nottinghamshire County Council Nottinghamshire Police Authority Combined Fire Authority Overall Council Tax requirement 2014/15
Example £52,448,405 divided by 31,893.84 = £1,644.47 charge for band D property
What are the significant changes?
Our planned expenditure for last year 2013/14 was £15,960 million.
Significant changes are as shown in the table below
We deduct any other grants we receive from the £14,998 million net budget requirement above to arrive
at a net amount we need to raise from Council Tax for the district services.
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Reduced employee costs (inc voluntary redundancies,
deletion of vacant posts, changes to NI)
Increased pension including auto-enrolment
Cost of implementing Living Wage
Economic climate effect on income
Efficiency savings Decreased interest and borrowing costs Increased Council Tax income
Payroll
Inflation
Sub total
We then ask Notts County Council, the Police Authority, the Fire Service and the 49 parish councils in
the district, what their budget requirements are for 2014/15 and add these together to arrive at a total we
need to collect through Council Tax. (Information about these services and their charges can be found on
their websites), please see the links on page 7.
4
Shown as
Band D Household
£
155.11
28.41
1,216.92
172.98 71.05
1,644.47
We divide the total requirement by the total number of chargeable dwellings due to pay, (shown as
average band D dwellings). This is known as the tax base and for Bassetlaw, this was approved at
31,893.84 Band D dwellings. This tells us the charge for an average band D property from which we work
out the charge for other bands (see the % charges for other bands on page 10)
How the £14,998 million links to the Council Tax charge for 2014/15
Council Tax
Band D Household
£
£
Budget requirement for Bassetlaw DC
14,998,400 470.26
Take off Revenue Support Grant -4,094,400
-128.38
Take off Retained Business Rates -3,341,500
-104.77
Take off New Homes Bonus Grant -1,246,100
-39.07
Take off Capital Grants recieved -300,000 -9.41
Take off Parish Councils and Charter Trustees -906,000
-28.41
Take off Localism Act Grants
-16,400
-0.51
Take off New Burdens (Council Tax Benefit Set-up Grant)
-86,000
-2.70
Take off Collection Fund surplus -60,900 -1.91
Basetlaw D.C’s “bottom line” (rounded)
4,947,100
155.11
Total Required
£
4,947,100
906,000
38,812,252
5,516,996
2,266,057
52,448,405
This gives a total of £14.998 million for 2014/15
£’ 000
-279.00 52.00 25.00
72.00
-523.00
-206.00
-147.00
44.00 -962.00
01909 533 533
5
Where your money goes
Bassetlaw
District Council
t: 01909 533533
Nottinghamshire
County Council
t: 0300 500 80 80
Where each £100 of your Council Tax goes
(last year’s comparison is in brackets)
Nottinghamshire Fire Service
£4.40 (£4.40)
4.4%
10.7%
Nottinghamshire Police
£10.70 (£10.70)
9.6%
Bassetlaw District Council
£9.60 (£9.64)
75.3%
Nottinghamshire County Council
£75.30 (£75.26)
The figures exclude parish charges.
Who does what?
Nottinghamshire
Police and Crime
Commissioner
t: 0300 300 9999
Ext 801 2005
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime
Commissioner:
● is elected to represent the public and hold the police to account
● sets the budget alongside local police and crime priorities
● sets the amount of council tax paid towards policing
● publishes a five-year plan to meet local objectives
● puts the need of victims first
● consults local people, ensuring action is taken in response
● appoints – and if necessary dismisses – the Chief Constable
● works with partner agencies to tackle crime and reoffending
● ensures resources are available to balance local and national threats to public safety
● ensures value for money.
6
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Nottinghamshire
Fire & Rescue
Service
t: 0115 967 0880
Bassetlaw District Council
Nottinghamshire County Council
The Council provides a wide range of services, Bassetlaw District Council provides important
including:
local services to its citizens, residents,businesses,
charities and voluntary groups. Services include:
● Adult social care and day centres
● Community Safety, CCTV, tackling anti social ● County parks and libraries
behaviour
● Fostering and adoption
● Collection of household and trade waste, ● Children’s centres
recycling and street sweeping
● Homecare and extra care for older people
● Leisure, parks and sports centres
● Landscaped public areas and cycleways
● Sheltered wardens schemes for the elderly
● Bridleways, footpaths and rights of way
● Planning and development control, licensing ● Public transport and pocket park and rides
and running local and national elections
● Register offices
● Car parks, tourism and markets
● Road maintenance, gritting and street lighting
● Grants to support voluntary sector services eg ● Household waste and recycling centres and CAB
refuse disposal
● Secondary and primary schools and school ● Economic regeneration, attracting businesses crossing patrol
and jobs
● The arts
● Environmental health, public health, food hygiene and pest control
● Public health
● Customer service centres
● Housing needs, Housing Benefit and Council Tax discounts.
● Trading standards
● Youth clubs and activities
Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service:
●
●
●
●
●
●
works with people to prevent fires and accidents happening, with a particular focus on those who are high risk works with businesses to help them keep their staff, customers and property safe from fire
provides an emergency fire and rescue service using the best equipment possible plans the frontline response it will deliver in the event of major incidents
recruits, trains and develops its staff to a high standard and keeps them safe at work
manages its business and resources well, in order to provide a value-for-money service
Detailed Council Tax information for
Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner
is available at
http://www.nottinghamshire.pcc.police.uk/DocumentLibrary/Money/Council-Tax-Information-2014-2015.pdf
Detailed Council Tax information for
Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue service
is available at
www.notts-fire.gov.uk/counciltax.asp
e: [email protected] Detailed Council Tax information for
Nottinghamshire County Council is available at
www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/counciltax. To request a paper copy,
please telephone 0300 500 80 80 or email
[email protected]
01909 533 533
7
8
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Your Council Tax by Parish & Town 2014-15
01909 533 533
Amount of
Precept
Parish/Town
The charges shown
opposite are based
on TWO adult
residents.
If only ONE resident, a
25% discount applies.
(Council Taxes
shown here include
Bassetlaw DC,
Nottinghamshire
Police, Combined Fire
Authority and Parish)
If you live in parts of
the Bassetlaw District
where no parish levy
applies, the last but
one line of the table
relates to you.
This covers residents
in Askham; Bole;
Carburton; Clumber
and Hardwick;
Haughton; Scaftworth;
Wallingwells; West
Burton
Babworth
Barnby Moor
Beckingham-cum-Saundby
Blyth
Bothamsall
Carlton in Lindrick
Clarborough & Welham
Clayworth
Cuckney
Dunham on Trent with Ragnall, Fledborough and Darlton
East Drayton
East Markham
East Retford Charter Trustees
Elkesley
Everton
Gamston with West Drayton & Eaton
Gringley-on-the Hill
Harworth & Bircotes
Hayton
Headon-cum-Upton with Grove & Stokeham
Hodsock
Holbeck & Welbeck
Laneham
Lound
Markham Clinton
Mattersey
Misson
Misterton
Nether Langwith
Normanton-on-Trent with Marnham
North Leverton with Habblesthorpe
North and South Wheatley
Norton
Rampton
Ranskill
Rhodesia
Scrooby
Shireoaks
South Leverton
Sturton-le-Steeple
Styrrup with Oldcotes
Sutton
Torworth
Treswell-with-Cottam
Tuxford
Walkeringham
West Stockwith
Wiseton
Worksop Charter Trustees
All other parts of Bassetlaw 2014/15
Last year 2013/14
A
£
1,091.61
1,095.51
1,104.23
1,113.93
1,084.70
1,140.71
1,103.87
1,105.91
1,134.21
1,108.02
1,096.91
1,102.80
1,078.33
1,115.35
1,099.91
1,094.70
1,119.97
1,152.87
1,106.15
1,093.34
1,120.21
1,095.96
1,102.39
1,094.88
1,100.39
1,098.19
1,101.44
1,127.37
1,115.23
1,092.61
1,116.16
1,126.87
1,090.55
1,091.52
1,100.40
1,093.69
1,100.54
1,095.77
1,105.09
1,126.71
1,116.18
1,105.91
1,111.16
1,089.23
1,158.61
1,111.19
1,114.04
1,086.62
1,077.53
1,077.38
1,056.89
B
£
1,273.54
1,278.09
1,288.25
1,299.58
1,265.47
1,330.82
1,287.84
1,290.21
1,323.24
1,292.68
1,279.71
1,286.59
1,258.04
1,301.23
1,283.21
1,277.14
1,306.62
1,345.00
1,290.50
1,275.55
1,306.89
1,278.61
1,286.10
1,277.35
1,283.78
1,281.21
1,285.00
1,315.25
1,301.08
1,274.70
1,302.17
1,314.66
1,272.29
1,273.43
1,283.79
1,275.95
1,283.95
1,278.39
1,289.26
1,314.49
1,302.20
1,290.21
1,296.34
1,270.76
1,351.69
1,296.38
1,299.70
1,267.71
1,257.11
1,256.93
1,233.04
C
£
1,455.49
1,460.69
1,472.31
1,485.25
1,446.27
1,520.95
1,471.83
1,474.55
1,512.29
1,477.36
1,462.55
1,470.40
1,437.78
1,487.14
1,466.55
1,459.60
1,493.30
1,537.16
1,474.87
1,457.79
1,493.61
1,461.28
1,469.85
1,459.84
1,467.19
1,464.26
1,468.59
1,503.16
1,486.97
1,456.82
1,488.22
1,502.49
1,454.07
1,455.36
1,467.20
1,458.25
1,467.39
1,461.03
1,473.46
1,502.29
1,488.24
1,474.55
1,481.55
1,452.31
1,544.81
1,481.59
1,485.39
1,448.83
1,436.71
1,436.51
1,409.19
D
£
1,637.41
1,643.26
1,656.33
1,670.89
1,627.04
1,711.06
1,655.80
1,658.85
1,701.31
1,662.02
1,645.35
1,654.19
1,617.49
1,673.02
1,649.85
1,642.04
1,679.95
1,729.29
1,659.22
1,640.00
1,680.30
1,643.93
1,653.57
1,642.31
1,650.58
1,647.28
1,652.15
1,691.04
1,672.83
1,638.91
1,674.23
1,690.29
1,635.81
1,637.27
1,650.59
1,640.52
1,650.80
1,643.65
1,657.63
1,690.06
1,674.26
1,658.85
1,666.73
1,633.84
1,737.90
1,666.78
1,671.05
1,629.92
1,616.29
1,616.06
1,585.34
E
£
2,001.28
2,008.43
2,024.41
2,042.20
1,988.61
2,091.30
2,023.76
2,027.49
2,079.38
2,031.36
2,010.99
2,021.79
1,976.94
2,044.81
2,016.49
2,006.94
2,053.28
2,113.58
2,027.94
2,004.45
2,053.71
2,009.25
2,021.04
2,007.27
2,017.38
2,013.35
2,019.30
2,066.83
2,044.58
2,003.12
2,046.29
2,065.92
1,999.33
2,001.11
2,017.39
2,005.09
2,017.65
2,008.91
2,026.00
2,065.63
2,046.32
2,027.49
2,037.12
1,996.92
2,124.11
2,037.18
2,042.40
1,992.13
1,975.47
1,975.19
1,937.64
F
£
2,365.15
2,373.60
2,392.48
2,413.51
2,350.17
2,471.53
2,391.71
2,396.12
2,457.45
2,400.70
2,376.62
2,389.39
2,336.38
2,416.59
2,383.12
2,371.84
2,426.60
2,497.86
2,396.65
2,368.89
2,427.10
2,374.57
2,388.49
2,372.23
2,384.17
2,379.41
2,386.44
2,442.61
2,416.31
2,367.32
2,418.33
2,441.53
2,362.84
2,364.95
2,384.19
2,369.64
2,384.49
2,374.16
2,394.36
2,441.20
2,418.38
2,396.12
2,407.50
2,359.99
2,510.30
2,407.57
2,413.74
2,354.33
2,334.64
2,334.31
2,289.93
G
£
2,729.02
2,738.77
2,760.56
2,784.82
2,711.74
2,851.77
2,759.67
2,764.76
2,835.52
2,770.04
2,742.26
2,756.99
2,695.82
2,788.37
2,749.76
2,736.74
2,799.92
2,882.16
2,765.37
2,733.34
2,800.51
2,739.89
2,755.96
2,737.19
2,750.97
2,745.47
2,753.59
2,818.41
2,788.06
2,731.52
2,790.39
2,817.16
2,726.36
2,728.79
2,750.99
2,734.21
2,751.34
2,739.42
2,762.72
2,816.77
2,790.44
2,764.76
2,777.89
2,723.07
2,896.51
2,777.97
2,785.09
2,716.54
2,693.82
2,693.44
2,642.23
H
£
3,274.82
3,286.52
3,312.66
3,341.78
3,254.08
3,422.12
3,311.60
3,317.70
3,402.62
3,324.04
3,290.70
3,308.38
3,234.98
3,346.04
3,299.70
3,284.08
3,359.90
3,458.58
3,318.44
3,280.00
3,360.60
3,287.86
3,307.14
3,284.62
3,301.16
3,294.56
3,304.30
3,382.08
3,345.66
3,277.82
3,348.46
3,380.58
3,271.62
3,274.54
3,301.18
3,281.04
3,301.60
3,287.30
3,315.26
3,380.12
3,348.52
3,317.70
3,333.46
3,267.68
3,475.80
3,333.56
3,342.10
3,259.84
3,232.58
3,232.12
3,170.68
2014/15
£
4,711
2,961
18,886
25,635
1,000
148,014
15,000
5,900
6,438
9,488
3,194
17,328
8,924
12,485
11,650
6,283
18,983
199,000
6,637
3,407
33,018
3,438
5,058
4,934
3,140
7,143
9,394
51,000
7,587
4,258
18,878
19,059
926
5,571
16,700
5,000
4,396
12,383
7,832
13,562
13,629
10,741
4,033
2,146
90,261
16,900
6,016
539
2,531
9
Parish Levy at
Band 'D'
£
£
4,026
2,503
17,405
25,745
1,000
88,722
15,000
5,543
6,374
7,738
3,055
16,972
8,771
12,362
11,500
6,210
18,983
199,000
6,588
3,490
25,379
3,043
5,009
3,882
3,140
4,582
9,210
51,000
6,136
4,092
18,000
18,758
960
5,967
16,700
4,150
3,850
11,076
6,754
11,895
12,632
10,587
3,433
2,146
72,481
14,634
4,278
400
2,276
Budget of Harworth
Bircotes Town Council
Precept
Other income
Expenditure
21.35
27.20
40.27
54.83
10.98
95.00
39.74
42.79
85.25
45.96
29.29
38.13
1.43
56.96
33.79
25.98
63.89
113.23
43.16
23.94
64.24
27.87
37.51
26.25
34.52
31.22
36.09
74.98
56.77
22.85
58.17
74.23
19.75
21.21
34.53
24.46
34.74
27.59
41.57
74.00
58.20
42.79
50.67
17.78
121.84
50.72
54.99
13.86
0.23
2014/152013/14
£
£
199,000 199,000 109,950 86,026 308,950 285,026 Council Tax banding FAQs How to pay your Council Tax
Why is my house placed in a particular Council
Tax band?
What do others pay in Council Tax compared
with band A?
The Government’s Valuation Office Agency (VOA)
has placed all homes in our area in one of eight
broad valuation bands. The valuation band is
based on the market value of the dwelling in 1991.
These values and totals are shown in the table
below, for 2014/15.
No. of homes
Generally, the higher the band, the higher the
Council Tax payable. The relationship to Band A for
2014/15 is shown in the diagram below.
Band A
Up to £40,000 26,232
Band B
£40,001 to £52,000 7,493
A
£
B
x
C
x
11 6
11 3
D
x
E
x
11 2 15 6
F
x
G
x
H
x
21 6
21 2
3
£1,077.53
The fractions shown above are set by the
Government and do not change from year to year.
Can I appeal against my Council Tax band?
Band C
£52,001 to £68,000 6,066
Band D
£68,001 to £88,000 5,860
Band E
£88,001 to £120,000 2,968
Band F
£120,001 to £160,000 1,373
Band G
£160,001 to £320,000 687
Band H
Over £320,000
55
Total number of dwellings
(as at November 2013) (as at November 2012) 50,734
50,520
The basis for your Council Tax band is the market
value range at 1991 prices. These ranges are fixed
by the Government and have not changed since
ths start of Council Tax in 1993. Bassetlaw District
Council is not responsible for the valuations as this
is done by the VOA.
Existing occupiers may need to show that there
has been a material change to the dwelling or in
the physical state of the locality. New occupiers
have six months from moving in to lodge an
appeal. Appeals are to the VOA.
Valuation Office Agency,
Listing Officer, Council Tax East,
Ground Floor, Ferrers House
Castle Meadow Road,
Nottingham, NG2 1AB
03000 501 501
[email protected]
www.voa.gov.uk
www.gov.uk/council-taxappeals/challenge-yourband
Direct Debit
Direct Debit offers you a choice of dates each
month, plus 10 or 12 months options. You can sign
up for Direct Debit over the telephone on 01909
533234 or return a completed instruction by post.
You will also soon be able to set up a Direct Debit
online. Over 31,000 households in Bassetlaw now
use Direct Debit for Council Tax payment. You can
pay your usual instalment in the month and even
over 12 months, or weekly every Friday.
Post Office
Bill payers can pay at any UK Post Office (free of
charge) by using the barcode on your bill. Take the
bill and your payment to the Post Office who will
issue you with a receipt. Cheques should be made
payable to “Post Office Ltd”.
Pay Point
You can pay your Council Tax (free of charge) at
any PayPoint outlet. Simply hand over your bill and
cash payment and you will be given a receipt.
Spread your payments
PAY YOUR COUNCIL TAX BY DIRECT DEBIT
AND SPREAD THE COST OVER 10 OR 12 MONTHS
Making an appeal does not allow you to stop payment. If an appeal is successful, you will be entitled to a refund of any overpayment.
Please note - You do not need to employ an
agent to act on your behalf. Agents often charge high fees based on a percentage of any refund
you may receive as a result of a successful banding appeal.
Your Council Tax bill can be spread over 12 interest-free monthly
instalments from April 2014, if you pay by Direct Debit.
Your Council Tax payments are normally
due on the first of the month.
However, if you sign up to Direct Debit
you can choose from five payment dates
each month to suit you.
You can even set up a weekly Direct
Debit for every Friday.
If you would like to pay by Direct Debit,
please complete the form overleaf or
contact our Council Tax Team on 01909
533 234 and one of our advisors will be
happy to set up a Direct Debit for you.
Our monthly Direct Debit dates are:
Direct Debit Dates
S
M
T W T
1 2
6 7 8 9
13 14 15 16
20 21 22 23
27 28 29 30
F
S
3 4 5
10 11 12
17 18 19
24 25 26
31
Internet
Pay by Debit or Credit Card through www.
bassetlaw.gov.uk. Click the link to online payments.
24 hour telephone payment
Pay by Direct Debit or Credit Card.
Please telephone 01777 713864 for this automated
line and have your details ready. This line operates
using voice recognition answers or easy push
button.
By Post
Send your cheque (not cash) to Bassetlaw District
Council, Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop,
S80 2AH. Cheques should be made payable to
Bassetlaw District Council. Always put your bill
reference or name and address on the back of your
cheque and state “CTAX”.
Other ways to pay include payment in person at
Council offices where we take cheque and credit
card payments only (Worksop and Retford One
Council Tax can be paid over 12 or 10 monthly instalments,
due from 1st April. Instalment plans paid over 12 months
run from 1st April to 1st March and 10 month plans run
from 1st April to 1st January. Please contact the Council
Tax Helpline number by 14th April if you are not already on
a 12 month instalment plan and would like to change to
one. If you need to budget weekly, we can offer a weekly
payment plan by Direct Debit, please contact the Council
Tax Helpline on (01909) 533234 for more details. Further
details can also be found on the Council’s website at
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk.
Where an instalment payment is not paid by the due date,
a reminder may be issued. This could escalate quickly
into a summons. Government rules limit the number of
times a missing payment can be caught up before the
whole bill becomes payable at once. For more information
about what happens if you don’t pay visit the Council Tax
pages at www.bassetlaw.gov.uk.
If you have difficulty making payment, please contact
us as soon as possible.
10
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
01909 533 533
11
Discounts & Exemptions
Not everyone has to pay the full Council Tax set
out on the centre pages. There are a number
of ways that the bill can be reduced, these are
detailed below.
Single occupier discount
A household with one adult occupier (over the age
18 yrs) is entitled to a 25% discount. This is not a
means tested discount, it is given where there is
only one adult resident.
The Council will check discount claims with third
party records to make sure that they are accurate.
The Council may share personal information you
have supplied for Council Tax with other council
departments, the Police and other public bodies
if this relates to the prevention of crime or fraud or
the recovery of debt.
Other discounts
Even where there are two or more adults, you
could still get the 25% discount. For example, in
a two adult household, one of the adults may not
count for Council Tax if he or she is exempt.
Exempt residents include people who are:
●
●
●
●
Full time students and apprentices
18 or 19 year olds where Child Benefit is in payment
Full time carers
Severely mentally impaired, which could include severe dementia sufferers
Family annexe discount
From 1st April 2014 a 50% discount will be
available for people who live in an annexe
providing it forms part of one single property with
another dwelling and if they are related to the
residents in the main dwelling.
There are certain categories of family members
who may qualify for this discount. This discount
will also apply for people living in dwellings with
annexes which are unoccupied provided they
are using those annexes as part of their main
residence.
12
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Exempt dwellings
Some unoccupied dwellings are exempt from
payment, for example dwellings where the resident
has died are exempt until probate has been
granted and dwellings left unoccupied because
the resident has moved into a care home.
Some occupied dwellings can also be exempt
from payment and these include dwellings that
are occupied only by students and dwellings
occupied only by residents who are severely
mentally impaired.
Empty Dwelling Discounts
What happens after
the discount period
has expired?
Requirements for discount/
premium charge apply
A further discount may
apply if the dwelling
remains empty. See
below
Dwelling must be unoccupied
and unfurnished
Up to 5 months.
This period
follows on from
the 1 month 100%
discount period.
Up to 5 months. This
period follows on from
the 1 month 100%
discount period.
Dwelling must be unoccupied
and unfurnished. No further
discount is given after 6
months.
0%
No discount is
given after the
above 6 month
period.
No discount is given
after the above 6
month period.
Dwelling must be unoccupied
and unfurnished
75%
Up to 12 months
Amount of
discount/
charge
How long does the
discount/premium
apply for?
100%
Up to 1 month
25%
Empty dwelling discounts
The table on the opposite page shows the empty
dwelling discounts that apply when a dwelling
becomes unoccupied.
Please note – The above discounts apply to the
property; a change in ownership does not trigger a
fresh period of entitlement to the above discounts.
The discounts apply from the date on which the
dwelling becomes empty.
Dwellings which are furnished but unoccupied are
known as ‘second homes’ , they are billed at the
full rate; there is no discount for these dwellings.
People with disabilities
If your household includes a person with a
disability, you may get an adjustment to your
Council Tax valuation band. This applies where
the dwelling has a room or extra kitchen or extra
bathroom to help meet the needs of a disabled
person. If there is extra space indoors to allow
the use of a wheelchair this may also mean that a
reduction is granted.
The dwelling must be
This discount applies
to empty dwellings that unoccupied, unfurnished
and in need of or undergoing
are uninhabitable.
major repair works to make it
habitable.
Empty dwelling premium charge
A 50% additional charge is added to the Council Tax bill on dwellings when they have been empty for
two years.
More information about the full range of discounts and empty/occupied dwelling exemptions are
shown on the Council Tax pages at www.bassetlaw.gov.uk or contact us on our helpline number –
(01909) 533324.
The reduction is granted by charging Council
Tax based on the next lowest band. Even if your
household is in Band A, you can still apply for this
reduction.
01909 533 533
13
Council
Tax Reduction Regeneration
If you are on a low income and feel you will be
unable to meet the monthly payments of your
Council Tax, you can apply, to the Council for a
Council Tax Reduction assessment. This is very
similar to the old Council Tax Benefit which was
abolished from April 2013 by the Government’s
Welfare Reform changes.
We offer a free speedy 48 hour claim service if the
form is fully completed and the relevant evidence
of identity, income, savings etc is with the claim
and you can come into the Worksop or Retford
One-Stop-Shop where it can be checked and
verified by a Benefits Officer.
The new Reduction is a discount but it is still
means-tested, that is we look at your weekly or
monthly income, savings, household details etc
to assess whether you are eligible under the local
scheme.
Don’t forget to tell us about changes.
A full copy of the Council’s Local Council Tax
Reduction Scheme is available on our website if
you click on the Benefits/Council Tax Reduction
pages.
From 1st April 2013, Council Tax rebate for
people on low incomes was replaced with a new
discount. All Councils must have in place a new
scheme to award discount to people based on
the financial need of the household. There is also
an entitlement checker on our website so you
can work out if you may be entitled. From April
2014, you will also be able to claim Council Tax
Reduction online.
The Government has made further cuts to the
grant available for Council Tax Reduction, and as
a result the most that we can award working age
claimants is 90%. Pensioners and working age
vulnerable households, such as severely disabled
residents, can still get up to 100% as they are
protected from the Government Reforms related to
Council Tax Schemes. However, if you have over
£16,000 in savings or other assets (excluding your
home), no discount of this type can be awarded.
If you don’t want to claim online or do not have
access to the internet at home, please give us a
call and we will be able to advise you.
Alternatively, we can send you a paper application
form to fill in.
14
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Reduction scheme claimants must tell us about
changes to their circumstances. If you think someone is committing benefit fraud, ring us on 0800
328 6340. You don’t have to say who you are, but
give as much information as you can.
We understand that times are difficult for some at
the moment, particularly if you are unemployed.
If you circumstances are not improving and you
are suffering exceptional difficulties in paying your
Council Tax, or you have received a reminder,
please do not ignore this, contact our support
team on 01909 533710 who may be able to help
you further.
Changes to
Council Tax Benefit
The new Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2014/15
Reduc
t
ion
The economic regeneration of our District is a high
priority for the Council and we are working on
several fronts to improve the size of our business
base, develop sites for business investment, have
a skilled workforce and attract higher value jobs
and visitors.
Increasing the business base
In simple terms, we need more businesses to
establish, move in and grow. We are, via our ‘Invest
in North Nottinghamshire’ project working with
leading local businesses to exploit the assets we
have- such as our connectivity through transport
links, our beautiful countryside- nicely described
by someone as having ‘big skies’ and our rich
landscape of stories, ranging from Pilgrim Fathers
Origins, Robin Hood, the history of the Dukeries
and our unique Industrial Heritage.
We strongly believe that we can place the district
more prominently on the economic map of this
country.
If you are interested in starting your own business
we offer a suite of measures to help.
• We have fully trained and experienced
business advisors who can show individuals
about business planning, marketing, what
licenses are required, book keeping and
how to access finance.
• We also offer a small grant scheme to
assist new businesses in their formative
stages. We have also harnessed the skills
and experience of the local business
community who share their experiences
and offer guidance to new start businesses
at our Enterprise Club which meets on
the first Thursday of each month at Retford
Enterprise Centre from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
These local businesses are also mentors to
assist in the growth of the new business.
We also work closely with a range of business
networks where new contacts can be made,
informal support of like-minded people can be
gained and topical business issues discussed.
Added to this, aimed at both new- start and
existing businesses, we deliver seminars on
subjects such as marketing, social media, how to
get money from banks, innovation and skills.
01909 533 533
15
Regeneration
Skills
Whilst the education and training industry is
outside of our direct control, we pride ourselves
in working closely with partners such as the Local
Enterprise Partnerships of Sheffield City region and
D2N2. Here we have a proactive approach using
the Skills Made Easy programme of directly talking
to employers to see what skills their workers need,
then finding the right people to deliver it- thus
cutting down on time, paperwork and of course
finding the right person for the job.
Higher value jobs
North Nottinghamshire for a long time has relied
on relatively low skilled manufacturing, which in
turn leads to lower than average levels of pay. To
help address this imbalance we have a long term
strategy to attract, develop and grow businesses
where the profits are higher, the skills required
are more intense and of course the reward in the
pay packet better. To this end we pro-actively
encourage more office based businesses, creative
industries and innovative activities. We have a
full Enterprise Centre in Retford, an innovation
Centre at Shireoaks (The Turbine) which is run by
the County Council in partnership with BDC plus
a Creative Village in Worksop which has been so
successful that, within a year of opening we are at
an advanced stage in planning to expand.
We are also holding Innovation Workshops to
enable new and existing businesses to expand,
diversify their product range, look at new markets
and improve processes.
Rural and tourism
Of course, the vast majority of our land is rural in
nature and was nicely described as one visitor as
‘having big skies’. Whilst this aspect is pleasing on
the eye, a modern economy requires these villages
and hamlets to be more sustainable in terms
of jobs and services. Transport is of course an
issue as is the cost of oil-since most rural homes
are not connected to the gas network. Again our
partnering approach helps address some of these
16
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Coming soon... our new website
issues and our partners RCAN (Rural communities
Action Nottinghamshire http://www.rcan.org.uk/
home.php offer a Wheels to Work programme
aimed at young people plus a bulk oil scheme
where oil is bought in bulk and the discounts
shared.
Bassetlaw District Council is improving and
updating the way it offers residents and businesses
access to council services. From later this year,
seven of the most popular council services will
appear online on our website, with more to quickly
follow.
We have successfully operated a Business
support and grant scheme (Leader programme)
where we obtained over £1.4 million to support
rural businesses and are at an advanced stage in
securing more funding for the next programme.
We also recognise that tourism can offer a further
boost to the economy by attracting more visitors
to our towns and villages and will be focussing on
the birthplace of the Pilgrim Fathers, the unique
stories and legends (including Robin Hood) which
abound in Bassetlaw and will promote some of
the unique industrial heritage assets which helped
shape our district over the centuries.
Bassetlaw is a unique place, and probably one of
the countries’ best guarded secrets and we are
working hard to change that.
The new Digital Services have been designed so
that they can be easily used from any device to
suit you, whether it is a PC, Smartphone, or Tablet,
from any location and at any time of the day or
night.
For further information please contact
[email protected]
01909 533223
don’t have to type them in every time you request
a service from the Council, and you can view and
update your information anytime.
All of these and many more services will be
available at the touch of a quick and easy to find
“Bassetlaw Button.”
All services will still be available by phone or by
calling into our offices if you prefer, but we will be
happy to show you how or help you to use the new
services whenever you visit a Council building.
These services will be as convenient and easy
to use as ordering your “big shop” from the
supermarket, or applying for your car tax online.
And you won’t have to come into the Council
offices, send us paper copies of information, or
wait for the Council to call you back or write to you.
Your details will be stored securely, so that you
Your Bassetlaw Citizen Account - You’re in control
You will be able to access your details and Council services via your
account from the comfort of your own home or anywhere you can
access the internet.
Safe and secure access to your details 24/7
Register your details and you will be able to access Council Services
when the new website goes live. Once registered you won’t have to
keep putting in the same details every time you want to contact us.
For extra security, when you’ve registered with us, we will send
out an account activation code so you can access some of the
information we hold about you.
You will be able to:• Keep up to date with your benefit claim
To take advantage of the features
on the Council’s new website,
residents can register for a secure
account. This will enable you to
view letters sent to you by the
Council, look at the balances
of accounts as well as making
payments for services. Having a
secure account also means you will
be able to check progress updates
on services your have requested, or
applications you have made. Your
full history of your dealings and
transactions with the Council will be
available anytime day or night, at
the click of a Bassetlaw Button.
• Look at your benefit payments
View your Council Tax bills and benefits notification letters
Securely store your payment details for quick pay
• Let us know of any change of circumstances
It’s as quick and simple as that.
01909 533 533
17
What
else can I do online
Bassetlaw Benefits online
You will be able to claim your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
online at home or from wherever you can access the internet. This makes it
easy to claim at a time that suits you.
Nearly 80% of people claiming benefits have said they already use the internet, but you may not feel
confident about claiming online. Don’t worry, if you get stuck making your claim there are various
ways for you to get help:1) Phone our claim helpline on 01909 533710 while you are online and someone will talk
you through it
2) Get someone to help you with the claim. (For instance a claim advisor, the Citizens Advice
Bureau, your landlord or another support organisation)
If you need further help and advice, face to face and telephone support will still be available from
the Council until you can get access to the internet.
What you can do to prepare to claim benefit online.
We need the following information to work out what benefit you are entitled to:
1) Where you live and any housing costs
2) Who lives with you
3) What income / savings you have
4) Any money you pay out such as child care costs
5) If you or anybody who lives with you has any disabilities
Please make sure that you have all the information and documents, including proof of your identity (and
your partner’s if you have one). You may need these to hand before you claim but we will tell you what
evidence or documents we need to see. In some cases we will be able to accept copies or digital images of
these.
What to do after you have claimed.
When you have completed the claim we will tell you what to do next.
In most cases you will be able to provide any further information we need by taking a photo of it and
uploading it as part of the claim.
To take advantage of the features on the
Council’s new website, residents can register
for a secure account.
This will enable you to view letters sent to you by
the Council, look at the balances of accounts as
well as making payments for services. Having a
secure account also means you will be able to
check progress updates on services your have
requested, or applications you have made. Your
full history of your dealings and transactions with
the Council will be available anytime day or night,
at the click of a Bassetlaw Button.
Once we have verified that we have all the information, we will then calculate your entitlement.
You don’t need to do anything else.
It’s as straight forward and as easy as that.
1.
18
Digital Inclusion Task Force, The Economic Case for Digital Inclusion, October 2009.
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
01909 533 533
19
Contact us
01909 533 533
www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
[email protected]
Text us on 07797 800 573
Find us on Facebook - BassetlawDC
Twitter @BassetlawDC
Visit us at:
Retford One Stop Shop 17B The Square, Retford DN22 6DB
Worksop One Stop Shop
Queens Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop S80 2AH
All offices are open: Monday to Friday 8:40am to 5:00pm
If you need any help communicating with us or understanding
any of our documents, please contact us on 01909 533 533.
We can arrange for a copy of this document in large print,
audiotape, Braille or for a Language Line interpreter to help you.