‘Why must I pay the tax on two homes?’

retain as much of their income as possible.

‘ Local authorities need to exercise restraint and understanding rather than increasing the burden on already hard-pressed ratepayers.’

Linda Constant is among those to have been sent a council tax bill out of the blue. Her mother passed away in June last year and Linda was still getting to grips with her loss in March when a council tax demand arrived from Bromley Council in South-East London for £231 a month.

Her mother, Violet, had been exempt from council tax due to her age and frail physical condition.

Violet died aged 98 after a long struggle with dementia. But Linda was unaware that she would be liable for council tax on her mother’s house once six months had elapsed since she was granted probate.

The four-bedroom detached property was put on the market in September 2019. But Linda, 74, says it was impossible to sell as it was in need of major renovations.

Then the property market came to a shuddering halt in March as soon as lockdown was imposed.

Linda argued with Bromley Council that she had been desperately trying to sell the property, but says it was ‘less than sympathetic’.

The council offered to defer the payments for three months, but Linda didn’t think it was worth it.

‘I am not getting any benefit from the council and am also having to pay council tax on my own home,’ she says. ‘It would be much fairer if councils agreed to halve the bill in cases where homes are proving difficult to sell. I am a pensioner myself and it has not been easy making the payments.’

Violet’s home has now been sold, with completion scheduled for next month. Bromley Council said it was ‘ following’ Government