Thousands missing out on claiming council tax relief

● Lack of public awareness blamed for falling numbers claiming benefit

Thousands of Scots are missing out on council tax relief to which they are legally entitled, a charity warned today as official statistics revealed the numbers claiming the benefit have plummeted.

Figures published by the Scottish Government found 7,110 fewer households are claiming the reduction compared to March 2018, and almost 75,000 fewer households are claiming it compared to April 2013 when the scheme was introduced.

The scheme aims to support low-income households in Scotland by reducing their council tax liability, with the reduction worth on average around £700 per household.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) said a lack of public awareness could be behind the drop and encouraged householders to check if they were eligible.

“Recent evidence that shows there is a strong lack of public awareness around eligibility for the council tax reduction scheme,” said CAS spokesman Myles Fitt. “It’s therefore worrying that fewer households received reductions from their council tax bill last year, as the average amount people could be missing out on is £700 per year.

“Our network helps and advocates hundreds of thousands of people each year and we frequently see cases around council tax debt and people struggling with the cost of living general.”

Nearly half a million households in Scotland received a reduction in council tax in March this year, according to official figures.

Scottish Government statistics show a total of 477,800 households were supported by the council tax reduction (CTR) scheme.

Of all CTR recipients in March 2019, 58 per cent (275,800 recipients) were in one of the 30 per cent most deprived areas in Scotland – up from 50 per cent as of March 2017.

Just over 37 per cent (175,240 recipients) were aged 65 or over, while 16 per cent (78,180 recipients) were lone parents.

Glasgow City Council had the highest number of CTR recipients in March 2019 with 88,660 householders, while the lowest number was in Shetland with 1,070.

In May, CAS launched a new tool to help people check if they are eligible for a council tax reduction at www.checkmycounciltax.scot.