Quick question - Joint tenants and CTS

Still learning, just wondered if anyone knew this quickly:

2 joint tenants, both liable for the full amount of council tax, but they are not partners. What happens here if they are both able to claim CTS due to low/0 income?

Does the council only allow one claim per house (for the full amount) and then puts in a non-dependant deduction? Or are both people able to claim CTS but not for the full council tax amount, maybe it is halved?

Thanks in advance.

Same as it would have been under CTB. Liability is halved. Each puts in their own claim and they are treated as 2 separate households with partial liabilty.

The only complication comes where 1 JT is in receipt of benefit, the other isn’t, and doesn’t make payments, because the JT who receives benefit is still Jointly & Severally liable for the other half of the charge, and as such can still be pursued for the debt.

I am afraid that for non-pensioners the answer to all of these type of questions Since April 2013 is “It depends what that Council put in their local scheme”.

In England.

J Membery - 02 April 2014 09:27 AM

I am afraid that for non-pensioners the answer to all of these type of questions Since April 2013 is “It depends what that Council put in their local scheme”.

True. Fortunately Scarborough’s scheme (at para 57.3) is quite standard in this respect.

Thanks everyone.