Martin Lewis viewer got £3,300 back after checking his Council Tax band

Martin Lewis helped a delighted man get nearly £20,000 back when he encouraged viewers of his show to check PPI and their Council Tax band.

He previously revealed that around 400,000 British people are believed to be in the wrong Council Tax band and back-dated repayments can reach £5,000.

In tonight's episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, viewer Brian from Southampton shared his joy at getting back thousands of pounds after following advice from the show.

He said: "Some of the neighbours' houses that were absolutely identical to ours were a lower banding and I did a claim.

"We received £3,300 – thank you, Martin."

Just before the PPI claim deadline, Brian followed Martin's advice again and got back £16,100.

Brain said he "burst into tears" when he found and thanked Martin again for his "pestering" of viewers to check if they are owed money.

The reason so many people are in the wrong band is because of the way Council Tax was calculated in 1991, with government workers and estate agents driving up and down the country and giving quick valuations of properties.

  • Millions of Brits could be owed £150 off council tax bills due to coronavirus

Dubbed "second-gear valuations" because in many cases they didn't even leave the car to check the homes, they are pretty hit-and-miss.

The Welsh government updated its Council Tax evaluations and Northern Ireland doesn't have Council Tax, but if you live elsewhere in the UK you might want to check your postcode.

Martin Lewis warns that it can be risky to appeal your Council Tax band because you could end up being put on an even higher band.

The money expert recommends checking your neighbours' Council Tax bands and the estimated value of your home in 1991 to work out how likely you are to be overpaying.

Use this tool to check your neighbours' Council Tax bands in England or this one if you live in Scotland.

If neighbouring properties are in a lower band and are very similar in size and value, it might be worth challenging the council but check your home's worth in 1991 first, which you can do using sites such as Nethouseprices, Zoopla and Rightmove which have historic sales information.

In England in 1991, Council Tax band A meant your home was valued at less than £40,000 and in Scotland, you were band A if your home was worth less than £27,000.

You don't have to pay any Council Tax if you are a full-time student and can get a discount if you are single or if you have a "severe mental impairment".

Source: Read Full Article