A new council tax reduction tool has been launched in Scotland that can save people thousands, Trust Deed Scotland has learned.
In 2019, Citizens Advice Scotland helped 2,250 people struggling with their Scottish council tax debts averaging over £3,000 and have launched a new campaign designed to help people check their council tax exemptions, reductions, discounts and claim back monies already paid to council tax authorities in Scotland.
Check to Save Campaign?
Myles Fitt, representing Citizens Advice Scotland advised:
“Over recent years, council tax debt has grown to be the number one debt issue that people bring to Citizens Advice Bureaux.
People coming to us for help last year owed a total of £6.9m to their local authorities. That works out to around £3000 per person on average, three times the average council tax bill in Scotland.
The campaign we are launching today is all about helping people who find themselves in council tax debt or who are struggling to pay their council tax bill.
Across the country, most councils are set to increase council tax rates. We think local authorities should be do everything they can to ensure more people access these savings to help those least able to pay higher council tax bills.
We know that over 80,000 fewer people in Scotland are claiming council tax reduction than when the system was introduced seven years ago, and we fear that lots of families are missing out on savings they are entitled to.”
Council Tax Reduction Calculator?
Trust Deed Scotland, who have helped over 20,000 people in Scotland experiencing financial difficulties by providing expert debt advice, welcome the introduction of the council tax reduction calculator tool available here and support the CAS Check to Save campaign.
Last year, Citizen Advice Scotland saved people an average of £380 on their council tax bill, so whether you’re struggling to pay your council tax bill or not, it’s worthwhile as you can easily find out if you’re eligible to claim a council tax discount in Scotland.
CAS reported that the number of people claiming council tax reduction has fallen by 80,000 since the new council tax scheme was introduced in 2013.
The new council tax reduction campaign from Citizen Advice Scotland has come at just the right time, with local council authorities in Glasgow voting to increase council tax by 4.64% and their counterparts in Edinburgh voting to increase council tax by 4.79%.
Council Tax Arrears Debt?
As the No.1 debt advice company in Scotland, Trust Deed Scotland has helped many individuals to reduce their overall monthly debt repayments using Protected Trust Deeds and the Debt Arrangement Scheme which can cover council tax arrears debt.
If you are struggling to repay multiple debts to a variety of creditors, Trust Deed Scotland recommends that you treat council tax debt as a priority debt with equal importance to your Mortgage or Rent and utility bills.
If you are feeling that your council tax has become unaffordable due to an overcommitment on credit card debts and other unsecured debts, it is advisable to seek help from a debt charity such as Citizen Advice Scotland.
Alternatively, you can find out about managing your money and getting free advice by visiting Money Advice Service, an independent service set up to help people manage their money.
Appeal Your Council Tax Band?
You can appeal your council tax band by visiting the Scottish Assessors Association website and making a proposal online to appeal your council tax.
Money Saving Expert also launched a guide showing that challenging your council tax band can be advantageous, and result in you being refunded backdated money, therefore it’s a worthwhile exercise.
Get Council Tax Debt Help Today?
You can also get qualified debt advice today from Trust Deed Scotland. Use our Debt Calculator Tool to find out what your options are, or give us a call on 0141 221 0999.
Our specialist debt advisors can help provide a personalised illustration of which debt management options you may qualify for and provide unbiased information on the Pros, Cons and alternatives to your potential debt solutions.
As the leading debt relief company in the UK, we’ve gathered thousands of independent debt advice reviews on TrustPilot, where over 98.6% of reviewers have given us a good, or excellent rating.
In their own words, our clients speak about their situation before, during and after seeking help. One of the most consistent answers we hear from our clients is “I wish I had done something sooner” which resonates with our own Trust Deed awareness radio campaign where we say “If you do something about your debts today, you can stop worrying about them tomorrow.“