Council Tax

 Customer service delays

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls to our Contact Centre and requests to our Council Tax Teams in part due to the cost of living crisis, the £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate, local elections, allocation of school places and the administration of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme . Both teams are currently prioritising supporting the most vulnerable, the processing of the £150 energy rebate to 114 000 households and those in need of help and support from our Emergency Limited Assistance Scheme. As at 27th April the teams have processed the £150 Energy Rebate to 45,256 households (Council Tax Bands A – D). These payments have been made to households that have paid Council Tax by Direct Debit where the instalment was paid between 1st – 18th April. For those whose direct debit is paid from 19th to the 28th April their rebate will be paid by mid-May. For households in Bands A to D that do not pay by direct debit we will be writing to them by 6th May to collect information from them that will enable us to process their rebate over the coming months. We appreciate that the current response times will be frustrating people trying to contact the Council so we have taken steps to recruit and train additional staff and our staff are working extra hours to help meet the demand. We would encourage people to use online processes wherever possible.

Customer service delays

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls to our Contact Centre and requests to our Council Tax Teams in part due to the cost of living crisis, the £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate, local elections, allocation of school places and the administration of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme . Both teams are currently prioritising supporting the most vulnerable, the processing of the £150 energy rebate to 114 000 households and those in need of help and support from our Emergency Limited Assistance Scheme. As at 27th April the teams have processed the £150 Energy Rebate to 45,256 households (Council Tax Bands A – D). These payments have been made to households that have paid Council Tax by Direct Debit where the instalment was paid between 1st – 18th April. For those whose direct debit is paid from 19th to the 28th April their rebate will be paid by mid-May. For households in Bands A to D that do not pay by direct debit we will be writing to them by 6th May to collect information from them that will enable us to process their rebate over the coming months. We appreciate that the current response times will be frustrating people trying to contact the Council so we have taken steps to recruit and train additional staff and our staff are working extra hours to help meet the demand. We would encourage people to use online processes wherever possible.

Customer service delays

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls to our Contact Centre and requests to our Council Tax Teams in part due to the cost of living crisis, the £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate, local elections, allocation of school places and the administration of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme . Both teams are currently prioritising supporting the most vulnerable, the processing of the £150 energy rebate to 114 000 households and those in need of help and support from our Emergency Limited Assistance Scheme. As at 27th April the teams have processed the £150 Energy Rebate to 45,256 households (Council Tax Bands A – D). These payments have been made to households that have paid Council Tax by Direct Debit where the instalment was paid between 1st – 18th April. For those whose direct debit is paid from 19th to the 28th April their rebate will be paid by mid-May. For households in Bands A to D that do not pay by direct debit we will be writing to them by 6th May to collect information from them that will enable us to process their rebate over the coming months. We appreciate that the current response times will be frustrating people trying to contact the Council so we have taken steps to recruit and train additional staff and our staff are working extra hours to help meet the demand. We would encourage people to use online processes wherever possible.

Council tax energy rebate 

On 3 February 2022, the government announced support to help households with rising energy bills including a one-off £150 energy rebate payment to council tax payers in bands A-D.

You can find the details including FAQs and an Easy Read guide here.

How will the council tax rebate work?

Guidance for the scheme has been released and we are working to design a process for households to receive payment and expect to be able to provide an update in the next few weeks.

You can read the Government's flyer about the scheme here.

Second homes and empty properties will not be eligible for the payment.

Eligible households in bands A to D and paying their council tax by Direct Debit may receive their payment first directly into their bank account. If you already pay your council tax by Direct Debit please just continue to do so. If you don’t yet pay your council tax by Direct Debit you can sign up for a Direct Debit here – you will need your council tax account reference to hand.

Sign up for paperless e-billing

By opting to receive your new council tax bill electronically, we will be able to contact you easily by email. And you will be saving paper. If you don’t already receive your bill by email, sign up for paperless ebilling here – you will need your council tax account reference to hand.

How to check the council tax band for your property

The band for your property is shown on your council tax bill above the charge details – look for the words 'Annual Charges for Council Tax Band'.

You can also check your Council Tax band on the Government website.

Contacting the Council Tax Team

Customer Service Delays

We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls to our Contact Centre and requests to our Council Tax Teams -  in part due to the cost of living crisis, the £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate, local elections, allocation of school places and the administration of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

Both teams are currently prioritising supporting the most vulnerable, the processing of the £150 energy rebate to 114,000 households  and those in need of help and support from our Emergency Limited Assistance Scheme (ELAS). 

As at 27th April the teams have processed the £150 Energy Rebate to 45,256 households (in Council Tax Bands A – D). These payments have been made to households that have paid Council Tax by Direct Debit where the instalment was paid between 1st – 18th April.  For those whose direct debit is paid from 19th to the 28th April their rebate will be paid by mid-May.  For households in Bands A to D that do not pay by direct debit, we will be writing to them by 6th May to collect information from them that will enable us to process their rebate over the coming months. 

We appreciate that the current response times will be frustrating for people trying to contact the Council, so we have taken steps to recruit and train additional staff, and our staff are working extra hours to help meet the demand. We would encourage people to use online processes wherever possible. 

Expected Response times - updated as of 05/05/22

This page will be regularly updated with expected timescales for handling enquiries. If you have not received a response to your original enquiry, we request that you do not make a follow-up enquiry within the timescales detailed below as this will only add to the delays we are currently experiencing.

We apologise for the delays and are working hard to reduce the time taken to dealing with current level of enquiries.

Application for a Discount/Exemption – response up to 14 weeks

Please note that if you have not supplied supporting evidence where required this may delay the processing of your application.

Apply for a council tax discount or exemption 

Change of Address / Household Occupier Details – response time up to 14 weeks.

Notify us about your change of address.

Other Enquiries – response time up to 7 weeks.

Online Enquiries

If you use our online forms to contact us, your enquiry will be handled sooner.

"I have received a Summons to court and wish to make an offer of payment"

We understand that receiving a summons can be very worrying if you are unable to pay the amount due in full. It is our desire to agree reasonable payment arrangements. 

Make an offer to repay your council tax.

Once completed, we will suspend further recovery action until your offer is accepted and a new formal arrangement made to pay your remaining Council Tax in instalments.

After you have completed the form please make payments as per your offer until a member of the Council Tax team contacts you. We aim to respond to all offers of payment within 10 working days.

Face to Face Enquiries

Due to restrictions that remain in place as a result of COVID19, we are only able to accept face-to-face enquiries by prior appointment. To arrange an appointment, please call us on 0345 140 0845. You will only be offered an appointment if your enquiry cannot be resolved by telephone or by using our online services.  

Please see further details below for making enquiries by telephone. We are unable to handle any drop-in enquiries at the present time and, if you arrive at a One Stop Shop without an appointment, you will be turned away and asked to ring the above number.

Telephone Enquiries

The wait time for our Council Tax call handlers to answer your call can vary at different times of the day. The lines can be especially busy at the beginning of the working week. If you have received a letter from us and need to speak to a call handler, please bear in mind that many other residents will have also received a letter and they too are trying to call us.

Difficulties in making payment

If you are on a low income you may be eligible to receive Council Tax Reduction. Details of the scheme and the online application process is in the link below.

Find out if you're eligible for a council tax reduction

If you are already in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, you may be able to request an Exceptional Hardship Fund payment if you are experiencing hardship caused by unusual or extreme circumstances. The Exceptional Hardship Fund application process is in the link below. 

Request an Exceptional Hardship Fund payment

Sign up to e-billing

Have you considered helping the environment by having your Council Tax bill sent to you electronically?

Sign up to e-billing by completing our online form. 

Last Updated on Thursday, May 5, 2022

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