FROM KIRSTY WESTFIELD, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL
North Lincolnshire Council is encouraging people to use its website, www.northlincs.gov.uk, to keep their details relating to council tax, business rates and housing benefits up-to-date using the online forms.
If you’re a council tax, business rates or housing benefit customer, it’s important that you tell the council about any changes in your circumstances.
If you don’t, you could be committing fraud and may have to pay back any overpayments of housing benefit.
Some changes to your circumstances might also mean you’re entitled to additional benefits or discounts, so it’s always worth letting the council know.
Letting the council know about changes is easier than ever and can be done online at a time to suit you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.northlincs.gov.uk/council-tax-benefits-and-housing/.
If you’re claiming housing benefit or council tax reduction, you must inform the council if you, or anyone your live with, experiences any of the changes of circumstances listed below:
Before, customers would have to contact the service within office hours, which wasn’t always convenient.
Access the online service at: www.northlincs.gov.uk/council-tax-benefits-and-housing/.
It’s not only the taxation and benefits service that you can access online, there are lots of other things you can do on the council’s website. You can do everything from reporting fly-tipping and finding out your bin collection days to reporting a problem with a road, just visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/do-it-online.
Natasha Thumwood from Scunthorpe who has used the online forms, said: “I did my school application for my daughter online. I was really surprised at how quick, simple and easy it was, and how easy it would be to edit application if needed to. Great service and told all my friends to do it online too!”
Coun Richard Hannigan, Cabinet Member for Policy and Finance, said: “Customers will see lots of benefits from using the online forms. It will save people a lot of time because they don’t have to work around office hours and can avoid the queues. They will be asked fewer questions as the ‘intelligent’ forms will only ask questions relevant to your circumstances.
“It has never been easier to tell us about your changes in circumstances, so please make sure you do. Otherwise you could be committing benefit fraud or missing out on council tax reductions. It will only take a few minutes of your time to complete the online form.
“Take a look at what you can do online by visiting our website. If more people accessed council services online instead of calling or visiting in person, you could help us to keep council tax at a low level.”
If you need a refresher course, there are some free online training sessions provided by the council and Ongo across North Lincolnshire.
If you don’t, you could be committing fraud and may have to pay back any overpayments of housing benefit.
Some changes to your circumstances might also mean you’re entitled to additional benefits or discounts, so it’s always worth letting the council know.
Letting the council know about changes is easier than ever and can be done online at a time to suit you, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.northlincs.gov.uk/council-tax-benefits-and-housing/.
If you’re claiming housing benefit or council tax reduction, you must inform the council if you, or anyone your live with, experiences any of the changes of circumstances listed below:
- A change of address
- Someone moving in with you
- Income changes (this could be wages, pensions, benefits, savings and so on)
- Universal Credit, Income Support, or Job Seeker’s Allowance stopping
- A change from Jobseeker’s Allowance (contribution-based) to Jobseeker’s Allowance (income-based)
- A dependent child leaving full-time education
- Rent changes
- Going abroad or being away from your home for more than two weeks
Before, customers would have to contact the service within office hours, which wasn’t always convenient.
Access the online service at: www.northlincs.gov.uk/council-tax-benefits-and-housing/.
It’s not only the taxation and benefits service that you can access online, there are lots of other things you can do on the council’s website. You can do everything from reporting fly-tipping and finding out your bin collection days to reporting a problem with a road, just visit www.northlincs.gov.uk/do-it-online.
Natasha Thumwood from Scunthorpe who has used the online forms, said: “I did my school application for my daughter online. I was really surprised at how quick, simple and easy it was, and how easy it would be to edit application if needed to. Great service and told all my friends to do it online too!”
Coun Richard Hannigan, Cabinet Member for Policy and Finance, said: “Customers will see lots of benefits from using the online forms. It will save people a lot of time because they don’t have to work around office hours and can avoid the queues. They will be asked fewer questions as the ‘intelligent’ forms will only ask questions relevant to your circumstances.
“It has never been easier to tell us about your changes in circumstances, so please make sure you do. Otherwise you could be committing benefit fraud or missing out on council tax reductions. It will only take a few minutes of your time to complete the online form.
“Take a look at what you can do online by visiting our website. If more people accessed council services online instead of calling or visiting in person, you could help us to keep council tax at a low level.”
If you need a refresher course, there are some free online training sessions provided by the council and Ongo across North Lincolnshire.
They include:
- Thursday at Brigg Community Wellbeing Hub, Horstead Avenue, from 10am to 12pm.
Don’t be put off if you don’t have access to a computer at home. You can still do things online using the computers at your local link or library, which is free for 30 minutes. Each additional session of up to 30 minutes after this costs just 55p.
1 comment:
Is the Wellbeing Hub - one-time building called the Adult Training Centre.....in the wrong place? Horstead Ave isn't the best place to get to without a car.
Sell the site for housing?.....and rebuild in the centre of Brigg
Post a Comment