Council Tax For A 17 Year Old

[cottonbud]

My daughter was kicked off her college course for bad attendance in Dec 2013 and child benefit and tax credit was stopped as well. She was 18 at the end of August and the local council have just sent me a bill that has been adjusted because "from 06/01/2014 a child is now treated as no longer being your dependant", they have back dated the claim from 6th Jan to end of Aug 2014, when she was still 17. I understand paying more when she turned 18 but to back date it to Jan seems totally unfair, I have googled for 2 days now and according to the CAB website, anyone under the age of 18 is excluded from paying council tax. I am going to appeal the Jan to Aug back date, i wondered if anyone can tell me if there is some area here that a 17 year old does have to pay the tax, as i can't find this info anywhere on the web,as it keeps coming up that anyone under the age of 18 is exempt, your help would be very much appreciated

[cottonbud]

thank you piper, this may well be the case and this may be the reason for the backpay being asked as she wasnt in full time education, but everywhere i look it says anyone under the age of 18 is exempt, im totally confused

[factor-fiction]

It'll be the single person discount that has been withdrawn as you are no longer considered to be the only adult, so you'll now be paying the same tax as other households with 2 or more non-exempt adults.

[murraymints]

if she was not in FTE ..then as above...

[hc4361]

Anyone below the age of 18 should be disregarded whether they are in school or not.

[cottonbud]

Thank you factor, yes agreed but surely only from when she turned 18?, which was end of August, everywhere i look including the government website it states that no one under the age of 18 pays council tax

[jackthehat]

Perhaps it means that anyone under the age of 18 is exempt from paying Council Tax on a property for which they are responsible, rather than one in which they are resident?

[cottonbud]

thank you hc, this is what i thought, i have copied gov website info and also cab and their own council website and will be highlighting the "no one under the age of 18 pays the tax" when i make my appeal, no where does it state about being in education, if this is the case than ALL these organisations need to make it crystal clear.

[cottonbud]

oh blimey jack maybe thats the grey area that i cannot find

[hc4361]

From the official government website under 18s do not count for council tax purposes:
https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-exemptions

Print that page off and take it to your council along with your daughter's birth certificate.

[murraymints]

anyone who is over school leaving age and is not in full time education is treated like any other adult and attracts council tax liability.

[hc4361]

That's not the case at all. The government website clearly states the 25% discount won't be affected by an under 18 year old living with you

[hc4361]

That's not true, murraymints. The full time education requirement only applies to 18 and 19 year olds.

[murraymints]

i stand corrected....but that has been my experience of kids leaving fte in Scotland

[jackthehat]

Have your spoken to the Council Tax Collection Department at your Local Authority?

They might have made a mistake, or at least be able to explain things better than Dr Google. :o)

[hc4361]

It's the same in Glasgow:
A 25% Single Person Discount applies if only one adult (a person aged 18 or over) lives in the home.

https://glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5294#Council%20Tax%20Benefit

[cottonbud]

hc, you are finding the same information as myself and ive been on the case for 2 days solid lol, if its the case that 17 year olds need to be in education, not one of the official websites actually states this, i have copied and pasted and will indeed do a copy of her birth certificate, they may still say she needs to pay in which case the websites need some serious updating !!! i am standing by my appeal and i will fight my corner on this one, im willing to pay from august when she turned 18, but earlier than that seems unjust and unfair

[hc4361]

I am 100% certain you should not lose your discount until your daughter turned 18.
There is no doubt about it.

[cottonbud]

according to the council i am unable to talk to them regarding an appeal, as this needs to be done in writing only (which is nice) they ARE going to take £258 out of my account (as i pay by DD) instead of the usual £22 and im feeling totally sick with the worry of it all and cant sleep, i dont earn enough to pay this full backdated unfair payment, thats why im desperately trying to find answers as to whether they can charge me for when she was 17