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. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Pay your Council Tax

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

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Guidance and regulation

1. Business rates: expanded retail discount - guidance
   • Guidance
   • 2 April 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
2. Council tax: COVID-19 hardship fund 2020 to 2021 - guidance
   • Guidance
   • 24 March 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
3. Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government
   • Detailed guide
   • 8 April 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
4. Start paying Council Tax
   • Detailed guide
   • 22 January 2016
   • Valuation Office Agency
5. How to check and challenge your rateable value
   • Detailed guide
   • 28 October 2019
   • Valuation Office Agency

See more guidance and regulation in this topic

News and communications

6 April 2020 — Correspondence

Coronavirus (COVID-19): letter to councils about local authority meetings and postponement of elections

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

1. Councils given new powers to hold public meetings remotely
   • 3 April 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release
2. 6/2020: coronavirus response and updated guidance
   • 2 April 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Correspondence
3. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick on COVID-19 response
   • 29 March 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Speech
4. First food parcels delivered to clinically vulnerable people
   • 29 March 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Press release

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Research and statistics

1. National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England: forecast for 2020 to 2021
   • 6 April 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Official statistics
2. Income and tax by Parliamentary constituency, confidence intervals
   • 2 April 2020
   • HM Revenue & Customs
   • National statistics
3. Income and tax by county and region, confidence intervals
   • 2 April 2020
   • HM Revenue & Customs
   • National statistics
4. Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority, confidence intervals
   • 2 April 2020
   • HM Revenue & Customs
   • National statistics
5. Live tables on Council Tax
   • 25 March 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Statistical data set

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Policy papers and consultations

1. Proposed merger of the Northumberland and Tyne and Wear pension funds
   • 20 March 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Open consultation
   • Closing date 01 May 2020
2. Local government pension scheme: changes to the local valuation cycle and management of employer risk
   • 27 February 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 31 July 2019
3. 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
4. Check, challenge, appeal: interim review of reforms to the business rates appeals system
   • 27 February 2020
   • Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
   • Policy paper
5. 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

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Transparency and freedom of information releases

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

See more transparency and freedom of information releases in this topic

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. Ministry of Justice
12. Department for Work & Pensions
13. HM Revenue & Customs
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. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
19. Office for Low Emission Vehicles
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