Frequently Asked Questions

The power to do this is at the discretion of the Council and the current policy at OWBC is not to offer such a discount. This decision was taken as it was felt that to allow a discount would disadvantage those who did not have the means to pay in full rather than by instalments, and the cost of the discount would have to be met by all Council Tax payers as it would not be covered by the increase in cash flow.

No, you cannot get interest on overpaid Council Tax. There is no provision in law to allow it so it would be illegal for the council to pay it.

No, if you stop paying, we are obliged to commence recovery action against you. Your liability to pay Council Tax is not affected by provision of local authority services.

You should contact the local authority responsible for providing the service and say why you are unhappy. You can pursue the matter through the Council’s complaints procedure if necessary, and ultimately involve your local Councillor and/or the Ombudsman as appropriate.

Possibly, but you must provide the Council with all of the reasons why your entitlement should start from a date earlier than the date you submitted your benefit application form. The Council will only be able to agree to backdate your claim if you can demonstrate good cause why you did not apply earlier and that this existed for the whole of the period that you are seeking backdated benefit to be paid. Reasons such as 'I did not know about the scheme' or 'I did not have time to apply' are not normally considered to demonstrate good cause. Backdated benefit entitlement cannot exceed a period of 6 months for a claimant or partner who are under 60 and cannot exceed a period of 3 months for a claimant or partner who are 60 or over from the date of the claim.

Yes. The Council Tax Regulations state that payment is still due irrespective of any appeal or benefit claim that may be outstanding. This is because there are separate legal avenues for pursuing different outstanding matters.

Send us a letter within one month to the address on this page.

You may be entitled to Council Tax Support, or qualify for a status discount or an exemption from Council Tax.

For further information please contact us or visit our web pages on Council Tax Support.

The Council’s preferred method of payment is direct debit, but it also offers a wide variety of other payment methods. For details please see the back of your Council Tax bill or visit our Payment Options webpage.

You can apply for both Housing Benefit (help with your rent) and Council Tax Benefit (help with your Council Tax) by completing the Council's housing and council tax benefit application form. However, if you have already filled in the Benefits Agency form (HCTB1 or Local Authority Input Document) along with an application for Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, you do not need to also complete the Council form unless you wish to claim Housing Benefit as a tenant of a private landlord.
You will need to submit all the documentary proof that is asked for (original documents only) including evidence of your identity and your National Insurance number. For further information please go to the Information Required page.
Please answer all the questions on the form, and provide the necessary supporting evidence as quickly as possible, to allow us to assess your claim promptly. If you don't have the documentary evidence immediately available do not delay submitting your claim for housing and council tax benefit otherwise you may lose benefit to which you are entitled. (See question 5 regarding backdating of entitlement.)
For more information go to the Housing and Council Tax benefit entitlement page.

Roads and pavements within the borough are looked after by Leicestershire County Council. Should you discover a problem such as a pot hole, damaged kerb or loose gravel for example, report it to Leicestershire County Council using their online form. Alternatively, you can visit their Service Shop's in person or telephone Leicester 0116 305 0001.

It is important that all food businesses are run safely and hygienically, with no risk to the public from the food that is produced or sold. The council's environmental health officers are able to offer you sound advice about the many issues that will affect your business. These include food safety and health and safety requirements, noise control and the prevention of nuisances.

By contacting your environmental health officer at an early stage, you could save time, money and anxiety as the advice you receive will help you to operate within the law and make sure that your new business venture gets of to the best possible start from day one.

It is also a legal requirement that you register your food business with the council.

If you would like any information about starting, registering or running a food business in our borough, please contact us for free, impartial advice.

The Council sets the standard level of Council Tax (called the band D tax level) in February/March each year. Each home is in one of eight valuation bands A to H based on the property’s capital value as at 1 April 1991. The actual tax paid depends on which band the property is in.

We aim to assess new claims within 14 days of receiving all of the required information. Things that may delay your claim being processed include:
If all sections of the application form are not fully completed, including the declaration and signature.
If you do not supply all of the supporting documentation.
If the Council is waiting for information about your claim from another agency such as Her Majesty's Revenues and Customs, the Pension Service, or the Department of work and Pensions.
If the Council needs further information from you regarding your claim (in which case we will contact you). You have up to 1 month to provide the information but this delays processing your claim so we would appreciate your early response to requests for information.
You will be sent a notification letter once your application has been processed, advising you of your housing and council tax benefit entitlement.