Swale Borough Council Your Services 2014/15

Yourservices Swale Borough Council

2014/15

How your Council Tax helps pay for the services we provide

Kent Police & Crime Commissioner

Swale Borough Council

About your Council Tax Swale Borough Council, Kent County Council, Kent Police & Crime Commissioner and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish/town council, it too provides some local services. This leaflet provides information from each of these authorities.

Kent Police & Crime Commissioner

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Swale Borough Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities (see table on page 7).

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Your Council Tax 2014/15

Calculation of the Council Tax Despite further reductions in Central Government funding ffor the third year running, the Council has been able to balance its budget without any increase in Council Tax. The Council has balanced its budget by making a further T £718,000 of efficiency and contract savings, all without any £ impact on front line services to the public.

Swale Borough Council’s pages within this booklet are available on the council’s website www.swale.gov.uk. The site also contains additional information on the 2014/15 budget and Council Tax. If you would like more copies or alternative versions of this booklet (i.e. large print, audio, different language) we will do our best to accommodate your request. Please contact Customer Services on 01795 417 850 or email csc@swale.gov.uk.

The Council Tax, which is primarily a property based tax, was introduced in April 1993. For the financial year 2014/15, the basic Council Tax for the average Band D property is calculated as follows: 2013/14 £

2014/15 £

Swale Borough Council Net Expenditure (Budget Requirement)

14,429,058

15,541,795

Less: Revenue Support Grant Business Rates Collection Fund Surplus

-4,705,480 -3,130,430 0

-4,116,864 -4,556,979 -178,360

Amount to be met by the Council Tax for Swale

6,593,148

6,689,592

This amount is then divided by the Tax Base* for Swale which is

41,225.21

41,828.25

159.93

159.93

To which is added Kent County Council Tax of Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Tax of Kent & Medway Fire & Rescue Authority Tax of

1,047.78 141.47 67.95

1,068.66 144.28 69.30

Giving a total Council Tax for a Band D property of

1,417.13

1,442.17

Giving a Swale Council Tax for a Band D property of

*The Tax Base is the equivalent number of Band D Properties in the area after allowing for the relative proportions payable by all other bands and the fact that some of those properties may pay a reduced amount because of discounts.

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Swale Borough Council

Your Council Tax Bill Valuation bands Most homes whether rented or owned have to pay Council Tax. The Valuation Office Agency has placed every property into one of eight valuation bands according to its estimated open market capital value on 1 April 1991.

Valuation Band range of values A B C D E F G H

Up to £40,000 £40,001 - £52,000 £52,001 - £68,000 £68,001 - £88,000 £88,001 - £120,000 £120,001 - £160,000 £160,001 - £320,000 More than £320,000

If you think that your property band is wrong, you need to contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and ask to have your band reviewed.

Your local office can be contacted via www.voa.gov.uk or email ctsouth@voa.gsi.gov.uk or on 03000 501501.

Empty Properties If your home is empty, for a period of up to 3 months you may be able to claim a discount. For more information contact Council Tax at www.swale.gov.uk or on 01795 417272. facebook.com/link http://tiny.cc/Swale-FB

Discounts If only one adult over the age of 18 lives in a property as their main home, the Council Tax bill can be reduced by 25%. Some people do not count towards the number of adults resident in a property including people who are: • • • •

Full time students/student nurses In hospital or care homes Severely mentally impaired Detained in prison

Disabled Person Relief If you or someone who lives with you has a disability, you may be entitled to a reduction. For more information please contact the Council Tax team on 01795 417272 or look on the Council’s website www.swale.gov.uk.

Exemptions Any property that falls within one of the following classes will be exempt from Council Tax:

A B D E

Vacant and unfurnished for up to 12 months. Property which requires structural alteration or major repair Vacant up to 6 months and owned by a charity Property left empty by someone who has been detained in prison Property left empty by someone who has moved into a care home or hospital www.swale.gov.uk website.gov.uk

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Your Council Tax 2014/15 Property left empty by the estate of a deceased person F for up to six months after grant of probate G Occupation is prohibited by law Vacant and being held available H for a Minister of Religion Property left empty by someone who has moved elsewhere to I receive personal care Property left empty by someone J who has moved elsewhere to provide personal care Vacant but previously occupied K by students Vacant where mortgagee is in L possession M Student Halls of Residence Property occupied solely by N students Properties owned by Secretary O of State for Defence - armed forces accommodation Properties occupied by P members of Visiting Forces Property where liable person is Q a trustee in bankruptcy R Vacant pitch or mooring Property solely occupied by S under 18s Vacant annexe that cannot be T let separately without breaching planning conditions Occupied solely by the U severely mentally impaired Occupied by a Diplomat, who V is not a British Citizen Separately banded annexe W occupied by a dependant relative

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Due to changes in Council Tax legislation the Class C (unoccupied and substantially unfurnished) exemption and the long-term empty and second home discounts were removed from 31 March 2013. For full details of all discounts and exemptions now available (and the qualifying conditions) please contact the Council Tax team or look on the Exemptions and Discounts page.

Appeals If you do not think that you should be billed for Council Tax, or the Council has made a mistake in calculating your bill or your Council Tax Support, you can appeal.

Appeals should initially be made in writing to the Council. The Council will look at your appeal first and try to resolve any issues. If you are not happy with our decision, we will provide you with details of how to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service who are independent from the Council. You should keep paying your bill even if you have appealed.

Council Tax Support From 1st April 2013 Council Tax Benefit was replaced by a new localised scheme called Council Tax Support. For further information on Council Tax Support please view our Council Tax Support page. If you are on a low income or living twitter.com/SwaleCouncil twitter.com/link

Swale Borough Council with other adults on a low income, you may be entitled to some help to pay your Council Tax. To find out if you are entitled to Council Tax Support contact our Benefits Team or view our Benefits page.

If you suspect someone is committing benefit fraud, please let us know.

You can report a suspected fraud in confidence, by phoning the Benefit Fraud Hotline on 01795 417 714 or report it online www.swale.gov.uk

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Your Council Tax 2014/15

Expenditure 2014/15

Corporate & Democratic Services Local tax collection, Elections, Land Charges etc Cultural, Environmental & Planning Services Highways, Roads & Transportation Services Housing Services Other Services Total Expenditure Contributions to/(from) funds RSG & Business Rates Council Tax Requirement

Gross Net Gross Net Expenditure Expenditure Expenditure Expenditure 2014/15 2014/15 2013/14 2013/14 £000 £000 £000 £000 3,205 2,291 3,190 2,332 1,678 826 13,396 1,014 15,534 1,431 58,948

12,704 -754 1,954 -2,295 14,726 638 -8,674 6,690

16,896 1,415 55,153

13,733 -805 2,019 -3,966 14,327 102 -7,836 6,593

Joint Council Tax Breakdown House Band

A

Kent County Council

Swale Borough Council

Kent Police & Crime Commissioner

Total Council Tax

£

Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority £

£

£

712.44

106.62

96.19

46.20

961.45

(excluding parish precepts)

£

B

831.18

124.39

112.22

53.90

1,121.69

C

949.92

142.16

128.25

61.60

1,281.93

D

1,068.66

159.93

144.28

69.30

1,442.17

E

1,306.14

195.47

176.34

84.70

1,762.65

F

1,543.62

231.01

208.40

100.10

2,083.13

G

1,781.10

266.55

240.47

115.50

2,403.62

H

2,137.32

319.86

288.56

138.60

2,884.34

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Swale Borough Council

Statement of Parish Precepts for 2014/15 Parish/Town Council Bapchild Bobbing Borden Boughton-under-Blean Bredgar Doddington Dunkirk Eastchurch Eastling Faversham Town Council Goodnestone & Graveney Hartlip Hernhill Iwade Leysdown Lower Halstow Lynsted Milstead Minster Newington Newnham Norton & Buckland Oare Ospringe Queenborough Town Council Rodmersham Selling Sheldwich, Leaveland & Badlesmere Stalisfield Teynham Throwley Tonge Tunstall Upchurch Warden http://tiny.cc/Swale-FB

Parish Precept 2013/14 7,196 11,250 42,251 37,400 8,109 6,750 11,346 21,911 2,385 174,360 5,328 4,779 8,000 29,875 25,716 17,651 11,574 1,873 90,132 33,438 2,729 5,014 7,185 4,500 44,000 5,693 6,514

Parish Precept 2014/15 10,000 13,500 45,115 38,874 9,000 7,500 11,562 27,000 2,844 242,509 5,400 6,500 8,000 34,500 25,000 21,250 17,049 2,950 108,109 38,500 2,850 5,669 8,568 5,500 44,000 7,500 7,199

Tax Base Parish Band D 2014/15 Council Tax 2014/15 ÂŁ 448.70 22.29 688.52 19.61 1,003.21 44.97 660.21 58.88 280.75 32.06 209.98 35.72 462.29 25.01 652.25 41.40 140.21 20.28 5,904.40 41.07 177.02 30.51 354.57 18.33 279.52 28.62 1,089.44 31.67 1,056.23 23.67 446.17 47.63 437.01 39.01 84.67 34.84 4,747.85 22.77 840.97 45.78 153.00 18.63 177.99 31.85 165.49 51.77 270.85 20.31 702.59 62.63 235.02 31.91 325.52 22.12

8,136

8,600

344.67

24.95

2,540 38,582 2,910 1,619 8,154 23,343 11,836

2,600 44,000 3,166 1,800 8,570 23,348 16,000

91.98 794.22 138.08 110.84 389.05 892.64 434.39

28.27 55.40 22.93 16.24 22.03 26.16 36.83

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Your Council Tax 2014/15

Contact information If you have any comments or questions about the information provided, please contact: Swale Borough Council Telephone: 01795 417850 Email: csc@swale.gov.uk Write to: Swale Borough Council, Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3HT Website: www.swale.gov.uk/yourservices

Kent Police & Crime Commissioner Telephone: 01622 677055 Email: kpaenquiries@kent.pnn. police.uk Write to: Kent Police & Crime Commissioner, Gail House, First Floor, Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6NB Website: www.kent-pcc.gov.uk/ spending

Kent County Council Telephone: 08458 247 247 Email: council.tax@kent.gov.uk Write to: Kent County Council, Room 3.08, Sessions House, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ Website: be www.kent.gov.uk/ counciltax

Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Telephone: 01622 692121 Email: KFRSFinance@kent.fire-uk. org Write to: Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Headquarters, Straw Mill Hill, Tovil, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6XB Website: www.kent.fire-uk.org/ default.aspx?page=2736Kent

If you have a question about paying your Council Tax bill or claiming Council Tax support, please contact your local council (top left box).

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For translations or interpretations contact us and we will do our best to help.

Tel: 01795 417 850 Email: csc@swale.gov.uk

How to pay • Help and advice • Benefits information • Get in touch and much more from Kent County Council, Swale Borough Council, Kent Police & Crime Commissioner and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority