Martin Lewis urges householders to check council tax bands

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 09:48 · Archive

Martin Lewis has warned householders to verify their council tax band, as hundreds of thousands may be overcharged.

Martin Lewis has issued a warning to householders to check their council tax band and ensure they are not being overcharged. On his Money Saving Expert website, he posted that hundreds of thousands of homes across England and Scotland are thought to be in the wrong council tax band. Some homeowners and renters have unknowingly been overpaying council tax for many years, even decades, because their bands are too high, with payouts worth thousands of pounds commonplace.

Lewis advised that those moving or who have recently moved house should check their band as a matter of priority. He stressed on X that householders have only six months to make a formal challenge after moving, after which the process becomes much trickier. Renters can also challenge their band, though he suggested courtesy would indicate they notify their landlord.

The warning comes as millions of households have seen their annual council tax bills jump from 1 April. Most local authorities in England increased a typical band D bill by 5 per cent, raising the charge by £109 to £2,280 from the previous year's figure of £2,171. Some local councils have been granted permission to impose increases of up to 10 per cent.

Lewis's Money Saving Expert website provides a system to help householders check whether their property is in the right band, along with a walkthrough of the challenge process. The guidance covers the different rules that apply in England and Scotland.

How it is being reported

• Martin Lewis: How to cut council tax bills and get a rebate todayMartin Lewis has reminded householders to check their council tax band, and make sure they aren't being overcharged.Cumberland News · 2 Nov, 09:16
• Martin Lewis: How to cut council tax bills and get a rebate todayMartin Lewis has reminded householders to check their council tax band, and make sure they aren't being overcharged.Westmorland Gazette · 2 Nov, 09:16
• Martin Lewis: How to cut council tax bills and get a rebate todayMartin Lewis has reminded householders to check their council tax band, and make sure they aren't being overcharged.NW Evening Mail · 2 Nov, 09:16
• Martin Lewis: How to cut council tax bills and get a rebate todayMartin Lewis has reminded householders to check their council tax band, and make sure they aren't being overcharged.Whitehaven News · 2 Nov, 09:16

In this story: Martin Lewis · Money Saving Expert · England · Scotland

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