Q. When do I have to pay my Council Tax?
A. Your Council Tax is payable in monthly instalments (unless you have chosen to pay in a lump sum or half-yearly). Those instalments are due on the 10th of the month, so payments should reach your Council Tax account by that date. However, if you choose to pay by direct debit you have a choice of three dates, either the 10th of the month, the 20th or the last day of the month. Also, you can choose to pay over 12 months by direct debit rather than 10. All you have to do is ring 0113 222 4404 with your bank account details and we will do the rest.
Q. Why have you sent me a Reminder/Final Notice/Summons?
A. By law, we must send a reminder if your instalments are not up to date. If you do not bring them up to date within 7 days or contact us to make an arrangement, you lose the right to pay by instalments. You will then be sent a summons and will have to pay court costs.
We do not have to send you a reminder each time you miss an instalment, as the law only requires us to send you a maximum of two in any financial year. So, if you receive two reminders in the year and after each one you bring your instalments up to date, if you fall behind again we will not send a reminder, we will send a final notice. This removes your right to pay by instalments and the full balance becomes due.
Once you have had a final notice, if you do not pay the full amount or contact us to make an arrangement within seven days, you will be sent a summons and will have to pay court costs as well as your Council Tax.
If you receive a summons and do not pay in full before the hearing, the Council will apply for a "liability order." However, if you cannot pay the Council Tax and court costs in full please contact us, we may be able to agree a payment arrangement without you having to go to court for the hearing.
Once granted, a liability order gives us the right to have money deducted from people’s wages, Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance, or to use bailiffs.
Q. What if I can’t pay the amount on the Reminder/Final Notice/Summons?
A. If you are having difficulty paying, please contact us at the Council Tax office and we will try to come to an arrangement for payment with you. We can also advise you of ways in which your Council Tax can be reduced.
Q. You have sent me a Summons and I want to make an arrangement to pay it off. Why do I still have to pay the costs?
A. By law, costs are payable when a liability order is obtained. Once a Summons has been issued, the only way to stop the Council from asking for a liability order is to pay the full amount before the hearing. Even when an arrangement is made, the Council still has to obtain a liability order, but we will not take any of the actions which it allows us to take as long as you keep to the arrangement we have made with you.
Q. Why do I have more Council Tax to pay than my neighbour/friend/relative?
A. Because of the Data Protection Act, we cannot discuss someone else’s bill with you. However, there are a number of reasons why you may have different amounts to pay:
- your property’s band may be higher
- they may be receiving a discount or a reduction for disabilities
- they may be getting Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate
- they may have moved in part way through the financial year so they are not paying for the full year.
Q. I was getting Council Tax Benefit but it has stopped. Why?
A. The most common reasons why benefit is stopped are:
- you have stopped getting Income Support and have not filled in a standard claim form for Council Tax Benefit;
- you no longer qualify for it because your income or circumstances have changed;
- you have not returned a review form which was sent to you;
- you have moved house and have not filled in a new claim form for your new address.
Whatever the reason, staff at Leeds Benefits Service will be able to help you. You can contact them at:
Leeds Benefits Service,
Selectapost 15,
2 Great George Street,
Leeds LS2 8BA
(Telephone 0113 222 4404)
Staff at the One Stop Service at 2 Great George Street will also be able to help you.