Citizens Advice voices concern over 7,000 drop in number of households with Council Tax Reduction

Figures released by the Scottish Government today show that 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 new scheme was introduced.

The reduction is worth on average around £700 per household.

Myles Fitt, financial health spokesperson for CAS, said: “Recent evidence that shows there is a strong lack of public awareness around eligibility for the Council Tax reduction scheme. 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 generally.”

CAS recently launched an online Council Tax tool to help people find out what exemptions, discounts and reductions they are entitled to.