Council Tax Explained Budget Summaries Local Policing Summary North Kesteven 2012/13 No tax increases from District or County councils Contacting your authorities We can provide the information in this booklet in Braille, large type or other languages if required. Please contact North Kesteven District Council at the address below North Kesteven District Council Community Access Points Kesteven Street, INFO-LINKS North Hykeham Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 7EF The North Kesteven Centre, General Enquiries: 01529 414155 or Moor Lane, North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 9AX 01522 699699 (if calling from a Lincoln number) Fax: 01529 413956 INFO-LINKS Metheringham Email: [email protected] 15A High Street, Metheringham, Lincoln LN4 3DZ Minicom service (general): 01522 873693 Billinghay Cottage and Parish Office Minicom service (housing): 01522 573498 The Old Vicarage Cottage Website: www.n-kesteven.gov.uk Church Street, Billinghay, Lincoln LN4 4HN Cover photo: Cogglesford Mill, Sleaford (NKDC/ Steve Hill) Heckington Parish Office Lincolnshire County Council Eastgate, Heckington, Lincolnshire NG34 9RB County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL Navenby Village Office General enquiries: 01522 552222 19 High Street, Navenby, Lincoln LN5 0EN Fax: 01522 516137 Email: [email protected] Osbournby Village Hall Minicom service: 01522 552055 London Road, Osbournby, Sleaford NG34 0DG Website: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk Skellingthorpe Village Office If you want any more information on the county Lincoln Road, Skellingthorpe Community Centre council’s budget for 2011/12, please phone Lincoln LN6 5UT 01522 553648 and leave a message, email [email protected] or visit The Witham Office www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/finance 16 Torgate Lane, (The Old Doctors Surgery), Bassingham LN5 9HF Lincolnshire Police Authority Waddington Parish Council Deepdale Lane, Nettleham, Lincoln LN5 7PH High Street, Waddington, Lincoln LN5 9RF Tel: 01522 558022 Fax: 01522 558739 Washingborough Civic Office Email: [email protected] Fen Road, Washingborough, Lincoln LN4 1AB Within North Kesteven, Community Access Lincolnshire Police General Enquiries Points offer a District-wide network of offices Tel: 01522 532222 (your call may be recorded) where you can pay your Council Tax, pick-up Emergencies: 999 and ask for police leaflets, drop-in forms and seek advice on things Minicom/textphone: 01522 558140 like benefits claims, housing grants and other Website: www.lincs.police.uk services offered by the District Council. 2 North Kesteven District Council Council Tax explained Who gets the Council Tax? Band Market Value (at April 1991) North Kesteven District Council collects the A Up to £40,000 Council Tax. However, we only keep less than ten B £40,001 - £52,000 per cent of it. We pay the rest over to Lincolnshire County Council and the Lincolnshire Police C £52,001 - £68,000 Authority. For more details, please see the tables on pages 6 and 16. D £68,001 - £88,000 E £88,001 - £120,000 What is Council Tax and who has to pay? F £120,001 - £160,000 Council Tax is a tax on people’s homes. Council G £160,001 - £320,000 and police services are paid for by income from Government grants, Council Tax, fees and other H More than £320,000 charges. Owner occupiers and their partners usually You can appeal against the valuation band if: have to pay the Council Tax bill. Where homes > It’s within six months of you becoming the are rented, the tenants and their partners will taxpayer have to pay. In the case of empty homes, it’s > The value changes because of demolition normally the owner who has to pay. work, a conversion, a change of use or any The owners of these properties have to pay: other physical change to the property’s location > Residential care homes, nursing homes You must carry on paying your Council Tax and hostels while your appeal is being considered. > Those occupied by • a minister of religion or a religious community For more information about valuation bands • more than one household or or appeals, contact: • resident staff or asylum seekers The Listing Officer, Council Tax East Please contact us if you have been made the Valuation Office Agency liable person, and you believe this to be incorrect. Ground Floor, Ferrers House Castle Meadow Road What are valuation bands – can you appeal? Nottingham, NG2 1AB Telephone: 03000 501501 The Valuation Office, an executive agency Website: www.voa.gov.uk of HM Revenue & Customs, has given each Email: [email protected] property a valuation band, between A and H, according to its market value in April 1991. If If your initial appeal fails, you have further avenues your property was built after April 1991, it will of appeal, which will be explained to you by the be valued as if it had existed then. Valuation Office. In common with all local authorities, North Kesteven District Council has a duty to protect the public funds it administers. We are required to participate in data matching exercises, carried out by the Audit Commission’s National Fraud Initiative, to prevent and detect fraud. North Kesteven District Council 3 Council Tax explained Council Tax discounts Council Tax exemptions You may be able to get a discount or, in some Generally, you don’t have to pay Council Tax on cases, a full exemption if no one lives in the the classes of property listed in the two sections property. The discount on furnished properties, that follow because they are exempt. Some which are no one’s sole or main residence, is classes do have time limits though and you 10%. You can get a 25% discount on your bill if may have to pay a charge after the exemption there is only one person aged 18 or over living runs out. Please note that time limits run from in your home. People under 18, or in one of the when the circumstances of the exempt class groups listed below, are NOT included when first started to apply, and they don’t re-start if counting the number of people living in your the property changes hands. home for Council Tax purposes: Classes of exempt EMPTY property: > Most full-time students, student nurses and Class A - is unfurnished and needs major some apprentices repairs or is undergoing structural alterations to > The partner of a student or the dependant of make it habitable (for up to 12 months only) a student who is not a British citizen and is Class B - owned by a charity (exempt for up to not allowed to work in this country or claim six months only) benefits Class C - unoccupied and unfurnished (exempt > People who are long-term patients in hospital for up to six months only) or who live in care homes Class D - the taxpayer is in prison (except for > People who are severely mentally impaired those in prison for non-payment of fines or > 18 and 19 year olds still eligible for child Council Tax) benefit Class E - the taxpayer has left it to go and live > School and college leavers (from April to in a care home October if they are under 20 years old) Class F - the tax payer has died (exempt for up > Low-paid care workers (usually employed by to six months after probate granted) charities) Class G - can’t be lived in by law > Residents of hostels for the homeless or night Class H - held for a minister of religion shelters Class I - the taxpayer has gone to live > Carers looking after someone who is not their elsewhere to receive personal care partner and not a child of their own who is Class J - the taxpayer has gone to live under 18 years old elsewhere to provide personal care > Members of religious communities Class K - left empty by a student > Members of visiting armed forces and Class L - the mortgagee has possession international institutions Class Q - the taxpayer is trustee to a bankrupt > Diplomats Class R - unused caravan pitch or boat mooring > People in prison (except for those in prison for Class T - unoccupied annexe to an occupied non-payment of fines or Council Tax) property Please contact us if: Classes of exempt OCCUPIED property: > You think you should be getting a discount or Class M - student halls of residence > You are getting a discount and your Class N - all occupiers are students, school or circumstances have changed so that you college leavers or non-British dependants or should no longer get it. partners of students 4 North Kesteven District Council Council Tax explained Class O - UK armed forces accommodation Seekers Allowance or Income Support Class P - visiting forces accommodation > The income we have to take into account is Class S - all occupiers are under 18 low enough for you to qualify and savings and Class U - all occupiers are severely mentally investments are valued below £16,000 impaired Even if you own your own home and are Class V - main residence of a person with working you may still be able to get this benefit. diplomatic privilege or immunity or A lot of information is required to support Class W - the annexe to a property occupied the claim, but don’t be put off by this - it’s by a dependant relative. necessary to stop fraud. Please contact us if: And even if you don’t qualify for the benefit > You think your property should be exempt in your own right, you may be able to get a from Council Tax or different kind of benefit reduction. This is where > Your circumstances have changed so that it someone on a low income is living with you and should no longer be exempt. stopping you from getting a discount.