Martin Lewis helped me get £14k in council tax but I'm not happy
One of the consumer champion's fans shared a story on how he successfully challenged his council tax payment, only for there to be a sting in the tail
Consumer champion Martin Lewis was heaped with praise online after his sage advice helped a man claim back more than £14,000 in excess council tax payments – yet the story took a bittersweet turn. One of his followers heeded the expert's advice and was over the moon to get tens of thousands of pounds back after discovering his property was placed in the wrong council tax band, only later to share there was a "sad" twist to the tale.
Martin had initially uploaded a video on his X account encouraging the public to tune in to the latest instalment of his self-titled BBC Sounds podcast. In it, he complained about the council tax band system in England and Scotland.
His message was paired with the caption: "Are you in one of 400,000 homes that are in the wrong council tax band? If so, you could be due £1,000s back!" He added: "It really is quite unbelievable that if you live in England and Scotland, the council tax band you are in today is still dictated by a stop-gap, drive-by valuation done back in 1991 that was only meant to last a couple of years.
"And when I say drive-by, I'm literally talking a couple of estate agents in a car often, with a clipboard in second gear going, 'Band C, Band D, Band E' – and that is still in place today. So no surprise up to 400,000 homes are in the wrong band. If you're in the wrong band and if you challenge it, not only can you get it lowered, you can get a backdated payout back to when you moved in or 1993, whichever was sooner."
The expert, who also hosts The Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, later told people not to dispute their council tax band without doing their research first, adding: "However, don't just do this speculatively because then you could get it wrong and they put your band up or even your neighbour's band up. You need to follow my full, step-by-step check and challenge process that I go through in detail in the podcast."
Taking this advice on board, one fan, Rob Dean, sought about correcting the council tax band for not only his mother's property but also that of his neighbours. He replied to Martin's video: "Did that for my mum following your guidance and got £6000+ back and then told the three neighbours who were also in the wrong band. Overall total was £14.5k. Only sad part is that we'd all overpaid the water rates too!" He made no suggestion that he had managed to claw back any of that money.
Others also shared their experiences of challenging their council tax bands. One person said: "I've been waiting for a decision for more than six months," while another follower added: "Just checked mine as I've always thought it seemed too high – turns out I am in the right band, but right at the bottom of it!"
A third person sought Martin's help, saying: "My sister challenged her band last October. VOA [Valuation Office Agency] said it can take up to a year before they decide!! Is this right??"
Challenging your council tax band
Martin's Money Saving Expert website offers a comprehensive guide on how to contest your council tax band, detailing the steps homeowners can take to secure a refund if they believe they've been incorrectly categorised. For an in-depth look at the procedure, click here.
But in brief, he proposed two approaches for those looking to challenge their council tax band. The first step is to compare your band with that of neighbours in similar or identical properties, with resources available on his website for residents in England and Scotland to facilitate this comparison.
The second step involves a valuation check, where individuals can use the Money Saving Expert site to estimate the value of their property back in 1991, which was when the current bands were established, despite the tax being introduced in 1993. Martin pointed out that anyone who purchased their home after 1991 can "use its price and date of sale" as a basis for valuation.
However, he warned: "This can't be used as evidence if you challenge your band. But it enables you to check out various property prices on your street and is an important test that you're on the right track."
If both criteria are met, Martin said that you can then present a challenge to the VOA, either formally or informally, recommending the formal route although acknowledging it's "available to fewer people".
Those eligible to lodge a formal challenge must have "lived in the property for six months or less (it doesn't matter whether you own or rent, though if renting you should notify the landlord as a courtesy)".
For individuals who can't make a formal challenge, Martin suggested: "Over the years we've heard feedback from people who've been told they can't challenge as they've lived in their property too long – yet the VOA has a statutory duty to uphold the integrity of Council Tax bands list.
"This means you can still submit a request for an 'informal review' of your Council Tax band, though the burden is on you to provide compelling evidence that your band is wrong, to persuade the VOA to do the review."
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