Council Tax and Housing Benefit Penalty Notices
The Council can impose a penalty on you for failing to supply information, supplying false information, or failing to notify the relevant Council department regarding a discount, exemption or empty homes premium.
Residents that fail to inform the Council Tax team of a change to their circumstances or provide information for the purposes of billing is an offence and will receive a £70.00 penalty. If you have received a second request to supply information and you fail to provide it you will then be subject to a further £280.00 penalty.
The offence is committed if you fail to notify the Council Tax team of a change that affects your Council Tax liability within 21 days of the change occurring.
Housing Benefit Claimants that fail to notify of a change in their circumstances, fail to provide information or make incorrect statements will receive a £50.00 penalty.
The offence is committed if you fail to notify the Housing Benefits team of a change that affects your entitlement to Housing Benefit within one calendar month of the change occurring.
► Recovery procedures explained
View online or download the Uttlesford District Council's Penalty Policy >> (PDF) [386KB]
You can appeal the Council's decision to impose a penalty
Council Tax and Local Council Tax Support Appeals
If you are unhappy by the Council's decision to impose a penalty in respect of your Council Tax account or your Local Council Tax support claim you can appeal direct to the independent Valuation Tribunal at:
Valuation Tribunal Office Doncaster
Hepworth House
2 Trafford Court
Doncaster
Yorkshire
DN1 1PN
Telephone: 01302 342324
Facsimile: 01302 321447
Email: VTDoncaster@vto.gsx.gov.uk
http://www.valuation-tribunals.gov.uk/
You must appeal to the Valuation Tribunal within 2 months of your receipt of the Penalty Notice. It is helpful if you include a copy of the Penalty Notice with your appeal. If you choose to appeal I recommend that you also inform the Council that you intend to do so in order that your account can be noted accordingly.
Housing Benefit Penalty Appeals
For a Housing Benefit penalty the appeal process is different you will need to contact the Housing Benefit Team within one calendar notice of your penalty notice and request a reconsideration of the decision. If this appeal is turned down and you are still unhappy you can then ask the Housing Benefit team to refer the matter to the Appeals Tribunal, this should be within one calendar notice of your reconsideration decision notice.
The Council cannot consider a late request for a revision where the request is made 13 months after the decision notice was first issued.