Martin Lewis issues 'very unlikely' warning to council tax payers

Martin Lewis, the founder of Money Saving Expert, has warned a viewer that they are 'very unlikely' to have their council tax band reassessed given their circumstances. In this week's episode of his ITV show, he focused on how to 'check and challenge' your council tax bills, with the potential for a substantial refund if you are moved into a lower band, reports the Express.

One viewer had previously taken Mr Lewis's advice and received a £19,000 refund after being moved to a lower tax band. After watching the show, another viewer asked: "We live in a two bed flat and are in council tax band D, which we think is wrong. We've done the neighbour check, but what if all the flats are in the incorrect band. What would we do in this situation?" It's crucial to conduct two checks before challenging your council tax banding with the local council.

The first is to compare your property with similar properties in the same area to see what band they are in. For a home in England, you can do this using the council tax band check tool on the Government website.

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However, Mr Lewis responded to the viewer, stating they are "very unlikely to be rebanded in that case". If you discover that your property is in a higher band than a similar property in your neighbourhood, there is an essential second step to take.

This process involves determining the value of your property when the banding system was introduced, which was in 1991 for properties in England. The Money Saving Expert website provides a tool to help you find out your property's worth in 1991.

Many local councils also offer council tax discount schemes based on individual circumstances. On his ITV show, Mr Lewis stated that these could result in savings of up to £1,500 annually, with an estimated 2.25 million people potentially missing out.

Those receiving means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit are often eligible for these discounts. To see if your local council offers such a scheme, visit their website.