24,000 Flintshire homes face Council Tax discount check

Flintshire Council has announced a forthcoming review of council tax discounts for residents claiming single occupancy reductions.

The initiative, a regular exercise with the most recent one conducted in 2022, aims to verify that all claimants of the 25 per cent discount are indeed eligible, aligning with the Council’s ongoing efforts to combat fraud and safeguard the public purse.

While the majority of claimants are expected to be rightfully claiming their discount, the review will specifically target discrepancies where occupants may not have reported changes in household status or where discounts have been falsely claimed.

The review forms part of the Councils measures to prevent fraud and protect the public purse.

Where incorrect claims are identified, the Council will be ending the claims and seeking to reclaim the discount from an appropriate date.

At present, nearly 24,000 residents – one in three households – claim the single person discount and although most residents are claiming the discount correctly, there may be cases where the Council has not been informed about a change in household occupancy, which affects the reduction, or a false claim has deliberately been made.

Any taxpayers currently receiving a discount that they feel may not be correct are urged to contact the Council Tax service straight away on (01352) 704848 or report change of circumstances online at www.flintshire.gov.uk/counciltax before the full review begins in mid-April 2024.