Map reveals areas most and least likely to save THOUSANDS after challenging council tax bills
A MAP of England and Wales reveals the areas where households were most likely to have their council tax band reduced in 2023/24.
Recent Government data shows 27% of those who questioned their band between March 2023 and April 2024 saw it fall.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which values properties in England and Wales, said 39,590 cases were resolved over the 12-month period.
Of that figure, 10,530 saw their council tax band slashed, while 25,930 saw it stay the same.
Less than 1% of the 39,590 resolved cases resulted in a council tax bill rise.
But our map reveals the regions that saw the highest percentage of council tax reductions per number of applications.
It shows across the 10 regions of England and Wales, Wales was found to be the most likely place to have your council tax band reduced.
Across the country, 650 properties saw their council tax band go down out of 2,110 total challenges – 31%.
Meanwhile, the North West of England was next with 30% of all challenges resulting in a fall – 1,670 in total.
In the South West of England, 5,440 households challenged their band with 1,450 seeing it reduced – 27%.
London was the region that had the lowest percentage of council tax reductions per number of applications with 17%.
The capital saw 1,040 properties’ bands go down at least one rating, with 6,190 overall challenging their bands.
The South East of England had the highest number of council tax reductions in total, with 1,960 seeing their bill go down in 2023 and 2024.
The North West of England was next, with 1,670 seeing their bill fall.
The South West of England, East of England and London had the third, fourth and fifth highest numbers of households seeing their council tax bill go down.
Across the three regions, 1,450, 1,050 and 1,040 households respectively had their council tax bills decreased.
The North East of England saw the smallest amount of households receive a council tax reduction, with 370 council tax challenges resulting in a fall.
Wales was the next lowest region with 650, then the East Midlands with 680 and Yorkshire and The Humber with 790.
Within the Greater London region, 650 households in Outer London, encompassing 19 councils across the capital, saw their council tax reduced.
Meanwhile, 490 in Greater Manchester also saw the essential bill fall.
There were barely any council tax reductions in some areas, including Copeland in the North West of England where only 10 households saw their bills fall.
Meanwhile, just 10 properties in Cambridge found their council tax challenge was successful.
What is a council tax band challenge?
Properties across the UK are put into bands A to H which informs how much council tax you pay.
But the bands were created based on property values back in 1991, which means many are not accurate based on today’s prices.
However, you can challenge your band if you think you’re paying too much and believe you should be in a lower one.
Not only will you pay less council tax moving forward, you could also get a refund going back to the date you moved into the property.
One mum previously revealed how challenging her band saw her save hundreds on her council tax.
You’ll want to check what council tax band you’re in before challenging it.
You can do this on the Government’s website by entering your postcode or address, if you live in England or Wales.
For homes in Scotland you will need to use the Scottish Assessors website.
If you think it’s worth a challenge, you then have to collect evidence showing you’re paying more.
One way of doing this is collecting the addresses of similar properties near yours in a lower band.
You then need to contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in England and Wales or the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA).
There’s further instructions on the Government’s website on how to do this.
If the VOA agrees that your property is in the wrong band, it will contact you letting you know, usually within a few days.
How to save money on Council Tax
ONE of the biggest household bills you need to pay is Council Tax.
How much you pay will depend on the value of your home, but Senior Consumer Reporter Olivia Marshall explains how you can save.
Check for discounts
Not everyone pays council tax. If you have someone who’s living with you and they don’t count, you could get 25% off your bill.
This includes full-time students, people on certain apprentice schemes, a live-in carer looking after someone else and student nurses.
If you live on your own you can claim a discount of 25%.
You’ll have to apply for the discount on your local authority’s website and can check eligibility at gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction
Help for disabled people
People with certain disabilities can get a discount of up to 100%. This applies to anyone considered severely mentally impaired (SMI) which includes conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s or learning difficulties resulting from a stroke.
If you’re living with someone affected by SMI then you could qualify for a discount too,
To be considered, a GP needs to certify the SMI and typically they will need to be receiving at least one type of benefit such as attendance allowance or personal independence payments.
Again, you can check your eligibility or a family member’s and apply on your local council’s website.
If you’re on a low income
If you’re on a low income or benefits, you might be able to claim a council tax reduction of up to 100%. This means you pay no council tax at all.
You can apply if you own your home or rent, and if you are unemployed or working.
But the rules vary between councils so you will need to contact yours to find out what you can get.
Claim a refund
Hundreds of thousands of households should check to see if they can get a council tax refund after making an overpayment.
Anyone who has moved out of one area to another is likely to be entitled to a refund if they paid their council tax bill upfront.
If you failed to close your council tax account and did not pay by direct debit, the local authority is not able to refund you any cash owed.
Check with your local council to see if you are due cash back and how to reclaim it.
But it can take up to 28 days if they need to check there’s enough evidence to review your challenge.
Overall, it can take up to two months to review a challenge.
If you aren’t happy with the VOA’s decision, you can appeal your case – but only if you’ve been told that you can when you get the decision.
Bear in mind, any appeals have to be launched within three months of your decision – you can do this via the Valuation Tribunal Service.
If the Valuation Tribunal agrees with you, it will get the VOA to change your band – and your bill will change.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories