Council reviews its council tax Single Occupancy Discounts claims

Residents in Bristol are being urged to check if they are correctly claiming a discount on their council tax.

A review of  all the Single Occupancy Discounts is in its final stages, with more than £1 million expected to be claimed back by eligible households.

People living alone can claim a 25 per cent reduction on their council tax bill, one of several available discounts.

But an estimated 10,000 cases are believed to be false, with a change in circumstances or occupancy not declared.

Cabinet Member for Targeted Improvements Councillor Gary Hopkins said: “The majority of people claiming the discount are genuine and we have no desire to worry people unduly.

“We know that the number of single households are increasing in the city – as they are nationally, which will partly explain the reason for the large increase claiming the discount.

“But this exercise is essential to ensure that the single person discount is only claimed by those entitled to the relief. We have an obligation to the council tax payers of Bristol to ensure that this is the case, especially during these challenging financial times when every penny counts.”