Martin Lewis told a viewer who got in touch that it is “very unlikely” they will succeed in getting their council tax band lowered based on their circumstances. In his ITV Money Show this week he explained how to ‘check and challenge’, with the possibility of securing a hefty rebate and dropping to a lower tax band.
One fan got a £19,000 refund after challenging their band, prompting another viewer to reach out to Mr Lewis. The person asked him on X: ” We live in a two bed flat and are in council tax band D, which we think is wrong.
“We’ve done the neighbour check, but what if all the flats are in the incorrect band. What would we do in this situation?” To contest your banding, Mr Lewis emphasises two crucial checks.
The first is to compare your property with other similar ones in the area, which you can do for a home in England using the Government’s online tool. But Mr Lewis warned the viewer he would be “very unlikely to be rebanded in that case”.
If your property is in a higher band compared to similar properties nearby, you then need to work out your property’s value back when the banding system was set up, which was back in 1991 for England. The Money Saving Expert website features a tool that allows you to work out the value of your property in 1991.
Many local councils also offer schemes that provide council tax discounts based on individual circumstances. On his ITV show, Mr Lewis revealed that these could bag you annual savings of up to £1,500, with an estimated 2.25 million people potentially missing out.
Those receiving means-tested benefits like Universal Credit or Pension Credit are often eligible for these discounts. To find out if your local council offers such a scheme, visit their website.