As a result of its recent review Council Tax Sole Occupier Discount claims, Sefton Council is set to receive almost £1.4 million of additional Council Tax revenue.

Sole Occupier discount gives households where only one person over the age of 18 is living, a 25% discount on the amount of Council Tax they pay.

Qualified

At the start of the review, in August 2024, letters were sent to the 49,800 Sefton households receiving the discount to make sure they still qualified.

Following that first stage, almost 1,300 households told Sefton Council about changes in their circumstances which meant they no longer qualified.

During the second stage of the review, Sefton Council worked with NEC Software Solutions to carry out a further review. The company used credit records to check how many adults might be living in properties claiming Council Tax Sole Occupier discount.

Follow-up letters

In November 2024, letters were sent to around 11,000 households, where the information provided seemed incorrect. Follow-up letters were sent to 5,220 addresses later in November. And then further letters were issued to those who had still failed to respond by January 2025.

Households that still did not reply at this stage had their discounts cancelled and revised Council Tax bills were issued. NEC kept their phonelines open until early March, to deal with any households confirming they are still entitled to the discount.

By the end of the review, almost 2,850 Sole Occupier Discounts had been cancelled. That represents just under 6% of those that were being claimed.

Billing households correctly

Cllr Christine Howard, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said: “I am pleased that by carrying out this through review, we have been able to make sure we are billing households correctly.

“By making sure people are paying their fair amount, we have identified a total of £1,390,982 in additional Council Tax revenue. We will use these extra funds to support vulnerable people and communities through vital local services.”

To carry out the review, Sefton Council worked with NEC Software Solutions. The company used credit records to check how many adults might be living in properties claiming Council Tax Sole Occupier discount.

Circumstances change

Cllr Howard added: “People’s circumstances change, which is why we undertook the review, making it as simple as possible for them to update their details."

The best way for people to apply for or cancel a Sole Occupier Discount is to register with the Council’s My Account online Council Tax portal using the link at www.sefton.gov.uk/my-account

Once registered, anyone wanting to apply for or cancel a Sole Occupier Discount should click 'View Council Tax discount and exemption services' and follow the instructions.

People already registered, simply need to sign into their My Account.