Please check the exemptions for unoccupied properties before you apply for this discount.. Please check My Account for updates. To find out what this is, you are best to contact your department. It may take longer if we are waiting for a reply from the college or university. Mental impairment If you or someone you live with are severely mentally impaired, you may be exempt from paying council tax. Another option is to split the cost of council tax with your housemates. Short term empty and unfurnished homes Housing and council tax | Ealing Council Essential maintenance: Sunday 23 April Discretionary housing payments, Ukrainian payment applications and My Account council tax and benefits will. However, keeping your landlord and rental agent in the loop regarding your exemption status is important to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about who is responsible for paying the council tax. That's why were here to help you get through the task of managing taxes. To work out who is liable to pay the council tax, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau, the government uses a hierarchy system: 1. Check with your local council or university for more information on temporary council tax exemptions. Council tax exemption student only works if you inform your council. You could also buy second-hand items, which are often much cheaper than new, or take advantage of free or low-cost activities in your local area. 2023 Uni Compare Ltd. All rights reserved. Households where everyone is a student do not have to pay council tax and can apply for an exemption. You have to apply and meet the eligibility criteria. Take 3 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. Sometimes the council likes to do checks on houses that haven't paid council tax just yet and having a council tax student certificate is likely to save . This would be issued by the university or college for each student who has moved away. From paying for textbooks to buying endless cups of coffee to keep us going through those late-night study sessions, it can seem like our money disappears in the blink of an eye. We can only issue letters confirming factual information confirmed by your record and department. While you may have been entitled to a council tax student exemption when you were at university, when you leave university, even after completing a postgraduate degree, you will need to start paying council tax, whether you rent or own and there will be no student exemption council tax. Discretionary payments and discounts. Some councils can be lenient on you not letting them know straight away, but why take the risk? Some university-owned accommodation may be exempt, but private accommodation is generally not. Council Tax discount and exemption appeals Below is a list of all the available discounts and exemptions. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Sometimes the council likes to do checks on houses that haven't paid council tax just yet and having a council tax student certificate is likely to save you a lot of money and hassle. Check that you meet all eligibility criteria before applying. We can only represent your status and information as it is at the date of issue, i.e. You canapply for a council tax exemptionon GOV.UK. Households where everyones a full-time student do not have to pay Council Tax. As a student in the UK, it's important to know about council tax and whether or not you're eligible for exemption. If your property isnt exempt, some people, including full-time students, are disregarded. To find out what this is, you are best to contact your department.Definitions in lawCouncil tax eligibility and exemption is set in law and not something which is decided by Kings or any university. Council tax Council tax discounts and exemptions Occupied properties Apply for a sole adult discount If only one adult lives in the property as their main home, the bill may be reduced. Register or sign in to My Account and complete the online enquiry form. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. If everyone who lives in your home is a student, you may not need to pay anything. This form should take approximately seven minutes to complete, Apply for an exemption for a property left empty by students (Class K), The property was the only or main residence of the student or students who have left, No adults other than students lived in the property, You are a full-time student at the time of leaving or within six weeks of leaving. Your feedback will help us give millions of people the information they need. We will also contact the college or university to verify student status. A statement confirming you are studying as a distance learning student, and that this is considered part-time by the university, Your overall course start and expected end dates, The module you are currently studying and the start date, Any other modules you have already studied, An explanation of how many weeks you have studied or are expected to study, and a calculation of the expected study hours per week. Accepted file types: Word (docx), Acrobat (pdf), Excel (xlsx), Plain text (txt), We also accept photos taken on phones and tablets and the following image file types - jpeg, gif, png, There is a maximum individual file size per document of 50MB. You can also upload any other documents which support your claim. It's easy to fall for these myths and end up with a surprise council tax bill. While the application process typically takes only a few days to process, additional information may be required, so it's crucial to apply in a timely manner. You may qualify for a Council Tax discount if a full time student lives in your home. As the full-time student, youre disregarded when counting the number of eligible adults in the property for discount purposes. Typically, the person occupying the property is liable not the landlord unless there is joint tenancy and the landlord has arranged for this, for example, in properties like care homes or refuge centres. All rights reserved. Here we will show you how to get exempt from council tax student and how to apply for council tax student exemption. You might have difficulty proving youre a student for council tax purposes if your study, tuition or work doesnt take place on the university or college campus or youre in the thesis writing up stage of your course. As a student, you may be eligible for council tax exemption, which means you won't have to pay council tax at all! As a student, its important to take advantage of every opportunity to reduce your living costs; council tax exemption is one of the most significant ways to do that. Debunking common myths about council tax exemption for students. For example, if you share with an employed person or a part-time student, they will probably be liable for 75% of the council tax bill. When it comes to council tax exemption for students, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there. course name, start/end dates, Accepted file types: Word (docx), Acrobat (pdf), Excel (xlsx), Plain text (txt), We also accept photos taken on phones and tablets and the following image file types - jpeg, gif, png, There is a maximum individual file size per document of 50MB. This means we cannot determine if you definitely are or are not eligible. Plenty of students feel that they do not need to inform their local councils of council tax, but those are the ones that end up paying. Discounts for full-time students Households where everyone's a full-time student do not have to pay Council Tax. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice to speak to an adviser if you're in this situation. Discover recommended open days and other events. So, don't fall for these common myths about council tax exemption for students. If you share with 2 or more employed people who arent students, theyre likely to be liable for 100% of the council tax bill, unless 1 or both of them qualifies as a disregarded person for council tax discount purposes. This is a read only version of the page. We aim to give you an answer within 10 working days. If you or someone you live with is liable to pay council tax, you might be able to get help. For council tax purposes, a property is likely to be an HMO if its occupied by: If you receive a council tax bill but you don't think you should have, you can apply for an exemption. By exploring all of your options and taking advantage of available discounts and cost-saving strategies, you can reduce your living expenses as a student and make the most of your budget. A council tax certificate issued from the college or university for each student, confirming: Please send evidence confirming the status of any non-EEA dependents living in the property. Accepted file types: Word (docx), Acrobat (pdf), Excel (xlsx), Plain text (txt), We also accept photos taken on phones and tablets and the following image file types - jpeg, gif, png, There is a maximum individual file size per document of 50MB. You can read more about council tax discounts for students on GOV.UK. We aim to give you an answer within 10 working days. You'll need to fill out this form and provide supporting documentation, such as proof of your student status. You have rejected additional cookies. If you've finished a course and youre waiting to start another, you might have to pay council tax - for example, if you've finished an undergraduate degree and plan to start a postgraduate course in the next academic year. If you do get a bill, you can apply for an exemption. To claim council tax exemption, contact your local council to get a form for your doctor to sign. Youre a full-time student for council tax purposes if your course: lasts at least 1 calendar or academic year for at least 24 weeks out of the year, and. We check and review all claims for a discount. A discount is applied for people living on their own, and for those who live with people who dont count as adults for council tax purposes, for example, full-time students. 1. If you would like to find out more about this in detail, there are examples in case law: Yes, we can issue you with a letter, and you can use it to apply for Council tax exemption if you wish. An owner of the property where no one is resident. To count as a full-time student, your course must: Last at least one calendar or academic year, where youre required to undertake the course for at least 24 weeks out of the year. Council tax eligibility and exemption is set in law and not something which is decided by King's or any university. However, there have been occasions where this legal definition has been challenged and it has been found that there are courses which meet the criteria for study time and could be deemed eligible. A council tax certificate issued from the college or university for each student, confirming: Please send evidence confirming the status of any non-EEA dependents living in the property. In this instance, full-time students means students that are on a course for a year or longer and must have 21 hours of study every week. There is a 25% discount because there is only 1 eligible adult in the property. Households where everyone is a student do not have to pay council tax and can apply for an exemption. Overall, courses which are defined as part-time are usually not regarded as eligible for council tax exemption since they dont usually meet the criteria for 21 hours+ over 24 weeks+, as outlined above. If you're living with non-students, you may still have to pay council tax, but you may be eligible for a discount. We check all claims for student reductions against internal and external records. Couples living together are jointly liable as a couple, but also as individuals. Manage your housing benefits account. If your property isn't exempt, some people, including full-time students, are 'disregarded'. Households where everyone is a student do not have to pay council tax and can apply for an exemption. A full council tax bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a property. To gain a full council tax exemption, a household must be occupied entirely by full-time students. Please tell us more about why our advice didn't help. Local welfare assistance. 2. Involves at least 24 weeks of study per year. You won't be needing a student discount for council tax, but since student and council tax dont go hand-in-hand, you will be getting something that will exempt you from having to pay tax. You are strongly advised to seek. However, you only need to be 'undertaking' a course for the necessary period of time and dont need to be physically attending university or college for that time. Any resident living in the property, for example, a squatter. Households where everyone is a student do not have to pay council tax and can apply for an exemption. Take 3 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. 3. In this case, please. This is not true only eligible students are exempt. If you have a low income and little savings, you may be able to get. Ealing council tax rise likely after 'inadequate' government settlement Published on Thursday, 28th January 2021 Ealing Council's cabinet has reluctantly agreed to recommend a package of. Students will need to qualify through certain criteria, but for the most part, you will be pardoned from student council tax. When Do Universities Confirm Your Place in 2023? Involves at least 21 hours of study per week. Another myth is that if one person in a household is a student, then the whole household is exempt from paying council tax. It can get trickier still, if there is a house of full-time students but there is one who is not a full-time student, then, unfortunately, they will have to pay the council tax themselves, although they will get a single person discount of 25%. You won't be needing a student discount for council tax, but since student and council tax don't go hand-in-hand, you will be getting something that will exempt you from having to pay tax. To count as a student, you must be doing a full-time course at a university or college that: If you are 18 or 19 in further education, your course must include at least 12 hours study per week. Each module usually takes between 6 8 weeks to complete and each module will have a credit value. The credit value will have an equivalent number of notional study hours, and this is what we use to calculate how many hours of study per week you are expected to be doing. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. No endorsement or partnership is implied. The local council might ask for proof that you're a full-time student. In conclusion, student council tax exemption is an incredibly valuable benefit for students in the UK. In order to apply for this reduction, if you are studying at the University of Reading you must provide your Student ID number. Apply for an exemption for a property where everyone is a student (Class N), Involves at least 24 weeks of study per year. With student council tax, there is a fair amount that students won't have been told before they go to university, so weve put together a useful guide on student council tax. The course is at least 24 weeks and has at least 21 hours per week study, tuition or work experience. Its best to inform your council as early as possible and not run the risk. In this situation, the local council can only pursue the non-students for payment of the council tax bill. You can also get the exemption if a property is lived in by students and dependents from outside the European Economic Area, who have an immigration restriction on taking up work or claiming benefits while in the UK. You might be liable to pay council tax in these circumstances because you aren't within the formal period of either course. If only one adult lives in the property as their main home, the bill may be reduced by 25%. This is a read only version of the page. Contact your local council if you have any questions or concerns during the application process. This means the council tax is calculated as if you dont live there. Alternatively please email your documents to revenuesscanning@ealing.gov.uk clearly stating your enquiry and your reference. So, let's dive into this guide to council tax exemption for students and find out how you can keep some extra dough in your pocket! Not only can it help you save some serious cash, but it can also prevent you from accidentally getting on the wrong side of the local council. Local authorities collect council tax and organise it into different "bands" based on the property's value. We can only explain the eligibility criteria and help to identify if you are likely or unlikely to fit that criteria and explain why. Advice for people affected by child abuse. If you're a student and have been enjoying council tax exemption, it's important to be aware of when it ends. We aim to give you an answer within 10 working days. Full-time student nurses on academic courses and foreign language assistants also qualify. Youre offline. This form should take approximately nine minutes to complete. However, we can provide you with advice and guide you through the legal jargon, especially if you are at all unsure whether you should apply or how your particular course would be defined. 1 or more tenants who each have their own tenancy agreement. Name and address of the college or university, Full name of the student and date of birth, Details of course i.e. Register or sign in to My Account and complete the online enquiry form. It can save you hundreds of pounds each year, which can be better spent on your education or other important expenses. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. So, if you and all of your housemates are full-time students, you should be exempt from paying council tax. Advice can vary depending on where you live. The average council tax bill hovers at around 1671, or council tax band D, which is roughly 140 per month. We aim to give you an answer within 10 working days. The credit value will have an equivalent number of notional study hours, and this is what we use to calculate how many hours of study per week you are expected to be doing. Council tax exemption has traditionally only been possible for full-time students.What is the definition of a full-time student for council tax purposes?To count as a full-time student, your course must: How are distance learning courses defined?Distance learning courses are officially considered part-time by Kings. It's easy to fall for these myths and end up with a surprise council tax bill. As a full-time student, you might need to take some time out from your course, for example, because of an illness or family commitments. Council tax discounts and exemptions Occupied properties Apply for a council tax band reduction for physically disabled people Apply for a reduction in council tax if a person with. Thank you, your feedback has been submitted. Student halls of residence are automatically exempt. When applying for council tax exemption as a student, there are a few common mistakes to watch out for that can delay or even prevent your application from being approved.. As long as you are a full-time student enrolled in a course lasting longer than a year, and require a minimum of 21 hours of study per week, you may still be eligible for council tax exemption during the summer between academic years If you are in the final year of your course and have already completed your studies, you may still be eligible for council tax exemption until the end of that academic year. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. While it's true that many students are eligible for exemption, it's not automatic. The property must be your main or sole residence. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Normally require at least 21 hours of study, tuition or work experience per week during term time. Distance learning courses are officially considered part-time by Kings. Overseas dependent: This is basically a child or partner who cannot legally work in the UK. If you have questions and want to have a better understanding of council tax, you are welcome to contact the, As an alternative, you can look into applying for a, Local authorities can choose how to operate this benefit, which means that having local knowledge tailored to your particular authority is much better, so we advise seeking out local support in your area using, If you considering doing this, you are best to seek advice before proceeding and contact the, Valuation Tribunal L V-S and Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames 21/03/2019.