Local government

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Services

1. Check your Council Tax band

   Find out the Council Tax band for a property in England, Scotland or Wales by looking up the property's postcode online

2. Council Tax

   Your Council Tax bill - how to work it out, who has to pay, discounts and exemptions for students and disabled people, second homes, empty properties, paying the bill

3. Find and check your business rates valuation

   How to check the rateable value of your business property - compare it with other properties, request changes to your valuation and challenge the business rates you've been charged

4. Pay your Council Tax

   Pay Council Tax online or by other methods, like direct debit to your local council

5. Apply for Council Tax Reduction

   Apply to your local council for Council Tax Reduction if you're on a low income or benefits - this has replaced Council Tax Benefit

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Guidance and regulation

1. Start paying Council Tax
   • Detailed guide
   • 22 January 2016
   • Valuation Office Agency
2. How domestic properties are assessed for Council Tax bands
   • Detailed guide
   • 13 February 2020
   • Valuation Office Agency
3. How to check and challenge your rateable value
   • Detailed guide
   • 28 October 2019
   • Valuation Office Agency
4. The Blue Badge scheme: rights and responsibilities in England
   • Guidance
   • 21 August 2017
   • Department for Transport
5. Abandoned vehicles: local authority responsibilities
   • Detailed guide
   • 30 November 2018
   • Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

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News and communications

10 February 2020 — Press release

Jenrick activates emergency Bellwin Scheme for storm-hit areas

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

1. 2/2020: Council Tax information letter – 24 January 2020
   • 27 January 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Correspondence
2. 1/2020: Council Tax information letter – 14 January 2020
   • 14 January 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Correspondence
3. Around 900,000 could receive increased Housing Benefit from April
   • 14 January 2020
   • Department for Work and Pensions
   • Press release
4. Local Government Minister’s speech at the LGA’s local government finance conference 2020
   • 7 January 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Speech

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Research and statistics

1. Live tables on local government finance
   • 20 February 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Statistical data set
2. National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: forecast for 2020 to 2021
   • 19 February 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Official statistics
3. National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: 2018 to 2019
   • 6 February 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Official statistics
4. Local authority capital expenditure and receipts in England: 2018 to 2019 provisional outturn and 2019 to 2020 forecast
   • 31 January 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics
5. Local authority capital expenditure and financing in England: 2019 to 2020 individual local authority data forecast
   • 31 January 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • National statistics

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Policy papers and consultations

1. Review of local authority financial reporting and external audit: call for views
   • 5 November 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Closed consultation
   • Date closed 20 December 2019
2. Proposed merger of West Midlands pension funds
   • 18 October 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 07 September 2019
3. Allowing joint committees and combined authorities to hold meetings by video conference
   • 16 July 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 11 January 2017
4. Local government finance and the 2019 Spending Review: response to the select committee report
   • 25 October 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Policy paper
5. Business rate retention and non-domestic rates 2018 to 2019
   • 11 July 2019
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Policy paper

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Transparency and freedom of information releases

1. Access Fund: funding
   • 11 February 2020
   • Department for Transport
   • Transparency
2. NIO Equality Six Monthly Update January - June 2019
   • 13 December 2019
   • Northern Ireland Office
   • Transparency
3. Twenty-fifth meeting of the Libraries Taskforce
   • 11 October 2019
   • Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
   • Corporate report
4. Data share pilot between HMRC and local authorities (T to Z)
   • 12 September 2019
   • HM Revenue & Customs
   • Foi release
5. Data share pilot between HMRC and local authorities (M to S)
   • 12 September 2019
   • HM Revenue & Customs
   • Foi release

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Organisations

1. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
2. Department for Transport
3. Valuation Office Agency
4. HM Treasury
5. Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Show more organisations

1. Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
2. Cabinet Office
3. Ministry of Defence
4. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
5. Department for Education
6. Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
7. Home Office
8. Department of Health & Social Care
9. Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
10. HM Courts & Tribunals Service
11. HM Revenue & Customs
12. Ministry of Justice
13. Department for Work & Pensions
14. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street
15. Government Actuary's Department
16. Office for Product Safety & Standards
17. Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Swyddfa Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru
18. Office for Low Emission Vehicles
19. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
20. Public Health England
21. Northern Ireland Office
22. Committee on Standards in Public Life
23. Disclosure & Barring Service
24. Government Digital Service
25. Maritime & Coastguard Agency
26. Bona Vacantia
27. Government Legal Department
28. Office of the Public Guardian
29. Armed Forces' Pay Review Body
30. Crown Commercial Service
31. Government Equalities Office
32. Lammy Review
33. Marine Management Organisation
34. Office for Civil Society
35. The Oil and Pipelines Agency
36. Planning Inspectorate
37. Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

1. Defence Infrastructure Organisation
2. Innovate UK
3. High Speed Two (HS2) Limited
4. Biometrics Commissioner
5. National Probation Service
6. Social Security Advisory Committee
7. British Hallmarking Council
8. Competition and Markets Authority
9. Environment Agency
10. Highways England
11. HM Land Registry
12. Ofsted
13. Single Source Regulations Office

Explore sub-topics

1. Business rates
2. Council Tax
3. Councils and elections
4. Data collection and reporting
5. Local Housing Allowance
6. Local government finance and capital assets
7. Local government pensions