Council Tax: Fires
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has assessed the adequacy of council tax exemptions for fire-damaged homes in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern
There is no specific council tax exemption for properties which have been damaged by fire. However, where a property is uninhabitable due to damage it may be removed from the council tax list. No one will be liable for council tax for the property whilst it is removed from the list. It is for the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether a property is uninhabitable for council tax purposes. The government has no plans to change this policy.
Where a property remains on the list, councils have the discretionary power to provide their own discounts where they consider this appropriate. It is for councils to decide whether to apply a discount. Households may wish to contact their council directly about this.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →