Boston Borough Council 2018-19 Council Tax explained, budget summary, local policing summary About this booklet We can provide the information in this booklet in Braille, large type, paper format or other languages if required. Please contact Boston Borough Council at the address below. Boston Borough Council Boston Borough Council handy numbers Municipal Buildings, West Street, Boston, Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Lincolnshire, PE21 8QR Support: Telephone enquiries: 01205 314202 Opening hours: Monday to Thursday – 8.45am to Email: Council tax: [email protected] 5.15pm; Friday – 8.45am to 4.45pm Housing Benefit: [email protected] Telephone: 01205 314200 Website: www.boston.gov.uk Email: [email protected] Out of hours emergency: 01205 360300 Refuse: For all information on waste collection, Website: www.boston.gov.uk recycling and bulky waste collection, including your 2018/19 calendar, go to www.boston.gov.uk/waste Lincolnshire County Council or call 01205 314200 for garden waste go to County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL www.boston.gov.uk/gardenwaste or call 01205 General enquiries: 01522 552222 311112. Email: [email protected] Minicom service: 01522 552055 Community Safety: Boston Borough Council’s Website: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk Community Safety Team is responsible for If you want any more information on the county dealing with crime and disorder issues; anti- council’s budget for 2017/18, please email social behaviour; CCTV; hate crime and domestic [email protected] or visit violence. www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/finance For advice, information or to report any incidents Police and Crime Commissioner of anti-social behaviour, vandalism or other minor crime or disorder issues call 01205 314200 or Deepdale Lane, Nettleham, Lincoln LN5 7PH email: [email protected] Tel: 01522 558022 All serious incidents should be reported to the Fax: 01522 558739 police on 01522 532222 or 999 for emergencies. Email: [email protected] Website: www.lincolnshire-pcc.gov.uk Concessionary bus pass scheme: All new Lincolnshire Police general enquiries bus pass applications must now be made to Tel: 01522 532222 (your call may be recorded) Lincolnshire County Council. Apply by post Emergencies: 999 and ask for police to Passenger Transport Unit, Crown House, Minicom/textphone: 01522 558140 Grantham Street, Lincoln LN2 1BD or in person Website: www.lincs.police.uk at City Hall in Lincoln. Application forms and an information leaflet about the scheme are available from libraries, Boston Borough Council, other key access centres and online at www.lincolnshire.gov. uk Lincoln Council Tax explained Who gets the Council Tax? Band Market Value (as at April 1991) Boston Borough Council collects the Council Tax. A Up to £40,000 However, we only keep around 11 per cent of it and B £40,001 – £52,000 of that 55 per cent is paid to the internal drainage boards. We pay the rest over to Lincolnshire C £52,001 – £68,000 County Council, parish councils and the Police and D £68,001 – £88,000 Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire. E £88,001 – £120,000 F £120,001 – £160,000 What is Council Tax and who has to pay? G £160,001 –£320,000 Council Tax is a tax on people’s homes. Council and police services are paid for by income from H More than £320,000 Government grants, Council Tax, fees and other charges. You can appeal against the valuation band if: It’s within six months of you becoming the tax Owner occupiers and their partners usually have to payer or pay the Council Tax bill. Where homes are rented, The value changes because of demolition work, the tenants and their partners will have to pay. In a conversion, a change of use or any other the case of empty homes, it’s normally the owner physical change to the property’s location who has to pay. You must carry on paying your Council Tax while The owners of these properties have to pay: your appeal is being considered. Residential care homes, nursing homes and hostels or For more information about valuation bands or Those occupied by appeals, contact: a minister of religion or a religious community The Listing Officer more than one household or Council Tax East resident staff or asylum seekers Kings Wharf 20-30 Kings Road Please contact us if you have been made the liable Reading person, and you believe this to be incorrect. RE1 3ER Telephone: 03000 501501 Valuation bands and how you can appeal? Fax: 03000 505310 Email: [email protected] The Valuation Office, an executive agency of HM Website: www.voa.gov.uk Revenue and Customs, has given each property If your initial appeal fails, you have further avenues a valuation band between A and H according to of appeal, which will be explained to you by the its market value in April 1991. If your property was Valuation Office. built after April 1991 it will be valued as if it had existed then. In common with other local authorities this authority is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. It may share information provided to it with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds and undertake data-matching exercises in order to prevent and detect fraud. Council Tax explained Council Tax discounts from 1 April 2018 You may be able to get a discount or, in some Generally, you don’t have to pay Council Tax on the cases, a full exemption if no-one lives in the classes of property listed in the two sections that property. The discount on furnished properties, follow because they are exempt. Some classes which are no-one’s sole or main residence, is 10%. have time limits though and you may have to pay You can get a 25% discount on your bill if there a charge after the exemption runs out. Please note is only one person aged 18 or over living in your that time limits run from when the circumstances of home. People under 18, or in one of the groups the exempt class first started to apply. They don’t listed below, are NOT included when counting the re-start if the liable Council Tax payer changes. number of people living in your home for Council Tax purposes: Classes of exempt EMPTY property: Class B – owned by a charity (exempt for up to 6 Most full-time students, student nurses and months only) some apprentices Class C – unoccupied and unfurnished (exempt for The partner of a student or the dependant of up to one month only) a student who is not a British citizen and is not Class D – the tax payer is in prison (except for allowed to work in this country or claim benefits those in prison for non-payment of fines or council People who are long-term patients in hospital or tax) who live in care homes Class E – the tax payer has left it to go and live in People who are severely mentally impaired a care home 18 and 19 year olds still eligible for child benefit Class F – the tax payer has died (exempt for up to School and college leavers (from April to six months after probate granted) October is they are under 20 years old) Class G – can’t be lived in by law Low-paid care workers (usually employed by Class H – held for a minister of religion charities) Class I – the tax payer has gone to live elsewhere Residents of hostels for the homeless or night to receive personal care shelters Class J – the tax payer has gone to live elsewhere Carers looking after someone who is not their to provide personal care partner and not a child of their own who is under 18 Class K – left empty by a student years old Class L – the mortgagee has possession Members of religious communities Class Q – the tax payer is trustee to a bankrupt Members of visiting armed forces and Class R – unused caravan pitch or boat mooring Class T – unoccupied annexe to an occupied international institutions property Diplomats People in prison (except for those in prison for Classes of exempt OCCUPIED property: non-payment of fines or council tax) Class M – student halls of residence Class A – vacant dwellings where major repair Class N – all occupiers are students, school or works or structural alterations are required or college leavers or non-British dependants or underway – 25% discount for 12-month period partners of students Please contact us if: Class O – UK armed forces accommodation You think you should be getting a discount or Class P – visiting forces accommodation You are getting a discount and your Class S – all occupiers are under 18 circumstances have changed so that you should no Class U – all occupiers are severely mentally longer get it impaired Long-term empty properties – no discount continued on next page Council Tax explained Class V – main residence of a person with Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or diplomatic privilege or immunity or Employment Support Allowance and maximum Class W – the annexe to a property occupied by a award of Universal Credit dependant relative the income we have to take into account is Long-term empty – Properties empty after two low enough for you to qualify and savings and years are now subject to a premium charge of investments are valued below £16,000. 150% Even if you own your own home and are working Please contact us if: you may still be able to get this discount. A lot of you think your property should be exempt from information is required to support the application, Council Tax or but don’t be put of by this – it’s necessary to your circumstances have changed so that it prevent and detect fraud.