Council Tax - Worcester City Council

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Phone/Voicemail, text and email reminders about Council Tax bills

To help residents stay on top of when their Council Tax payments are due, we have started sending regular telephone/voicemail, email and text reminders to people who have fallen behind with their payments before the more formal notices are sent.

The telephone/voicemail call will come from 03004 560560, our Council Tax telephone number.

The text messages will come from ‘WorcesterCC and read ‘You currently have an outstanding matter with South Worcestershire Revenues & Benefits Partnership who administer Council Tax on behalf of Worcester City Council.’

It then asks you to follow a link beginning https://textm.co/t/. Following that link will take you to a page with a security question to check your identity before giving you further instructions about your Council Tax account.

The email will start with your name and Council Tax account number and will come from ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.’ and will include instructions as to what you need to do.

If you receive any of these messages, we can confirm they are legitimate Worcester City Council communications and ask you to act on the instructions detailed as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation.

What is Council Tax?

Council Tax is a local tax set by your local councils.

It helps to pay for local services such as schools, libraries, refuse collection and sports centres which are provided by Worcester City Council, Worcestershire County Council, West Mercia Police and Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority.

If you live in the parish of Warndon or St Peters you will also pay a small amount for parish council services.

You pay your Council Tax to the City Council and we send the county, police or parish the amounts they have asked for.

You can find out more about what your Council Tax pays for in our Council Tax leaflet and by using the links below.

The Secretary of State made an offer to adult social care authorities. (“Adult social care authorities” are local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly).

The offer was the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an additional “precept” on its council tax without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting expenditure on adult social care from the financial year 2016-17. It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019-20. If the Secretary of State chooses to renew this offer in respect of a particular financial year, this is subject to approval of the House of Commons.

Previous years' Council Tax leaflets

Council Tax and Ukrainian refugees

The Government has set out guidelines to help protect Council Tax payers whose bills might have increased as a result of helping out under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. This applies to all Ukrainian refugees who have permission to enter or to stay in the United Kingdom granted under the Government's Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

If you share or have let a property to a Ukrainian Refugee, please provide the address of the property, the names of the refugees, and the date that they moved in. Please also provide any documentation you have to support that they have permission to enter or to stay in the United Kingdom granted under the Government's Homes for Ukraine Scheme if any of the following discounts or exemptions apply to you and email these to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

25% single-person discount

If you are the only adult aged 18 or over living in your property and are receiving the 25% single-person discount and you share your home with a Ukrainian refugee(s) you will continue to receive a 25% discount. The refugee(s) will be disregarded for Council Tax purposes.

Occupied properties that are exempt

Class N – occupied only by students
Class S – Occupied only by persons under 18
Class U – Occupied only by people who are severely mentally impaired

If you are receiving an exemption for one of these reasons and you share your home with a Ukrainian refugee(s) you will continue to receive the exemption.

Empty properties that are exempt

Class B – Owned by a charity that is unoccupied for less than 6 month
Class D – Left empty by someone who is in prison or detained
Class E – Left empty by someone who has moved into a hospital of care home
Class F – Left empty where the former owner has died and awaiting grant of probate
Class H – Left empty awaiting occupation by a minister of religion
Class I – Left empty by someone who lives elsewhere to receive personal care
Class J – Left empty by someone who has moved out to provide personal care
Class K – Left empty owned by a student
Class L – Repossessed property
Class Q – Left empty by bankrupt individual
Class T – Unoccupied property forming part of a property (annex) which cannot be let separately

If you are receiving an exemption for one of these reasons and you let your property to a Ukrainian refugee(s) you will continue to receive the exemption.

Unoccupied furnished or unfurnished properties where the full rate of Council Tax is being paid

If you are paying the full rate of Council Tax for an empty property and you let your property to a Ukrainian refugee(s) the Council Tax charge will be reduced by 50%. Please provide the names of the refugees, the date they moved in and evidence that they have permission to stay in the UK under the scheme.

Council Tax Regulations require us to issue bills in the name of the residents and therefore the refugee will be liable to pay the 50% Council Tax bill. In some cases the sponsor may wish to make payment on their behalf but the bill will remain in the name of the occupier, who should also consider making a claim for council tax support.