Probably been asked a million times but I cant find a link on the search option. I bought my house via the shared ownership scheme just over two years ago and looking at the household charge website I am exempt from paying the charge on the grounds that the local authority have a percentage in my house. I didnt realise I was exempt until yesterday when I went snooping. Can anyone tell me do I still need to register regardless? I am reluctant to do so as I dont really want to give them my details for fear that they will use these in future for whatever they want. (Before you ask prior to finding out I was exempt I was against the household charge and was refusing to pay..)
But if you do register you will help the govt as you will be added to number that have registered. This number is not being routinely reported by media as number that have paid.
That is totally untrue; please do not mislead people; we have a government in place for that.
There are two kinds of exceptions to payment of the property charge - "Waivers" and "Exemptions"
"Waivers" apply to occupiers or people who satisfy these conditions
"The waivers from payment of the household charge are as follows:
Owners of residential property entitled to mortgage interest supplement [MIS]
Owners of residential property located in certain prescribed unfinished housing estates (see Unfinished Housing Estates section for more detail)"
People who qualify for "Waivers" need to register but will not need to pay the charge. The can register and apply for a waiver online at the same time with no need for further form-filling or communication. One of the reasons the PPSN is needed is to check that people who claim waivers do in fact qualify.
"Exemptions" generally apply to buildings which satisfy these conditions
"... The exemptions are as follows:
Residential properties that are part of the trading stock of a business and have not been sold or been the source of any income since construction,
Residential property vested in a Minister of the Government or the Health Service Executive,
Residential property vested in a housing authority, including property where households are purchasing their homes under the Shared Ownership Scheme and where the local authority still retains an ownership stake,
Voluntary and co-operative housing,
Residential property subject to commercial rates and wholly used as a dwelling,
Residential property owned by certain charities or comprised in a discretionary trust, and
Residential property where a person has to leave their house due to long-term mental or physical infirmity (e.g. a person that has moved into a nursing home).
"Long term mental or physical infirmity" is defined in the legislation as an infirmity requiring the person to vacate the property in which he/she had been dwelling for a continuous period of more than 12 months and that is certified as such by a registered practitioner.
Do I need to register my property if it is Exempt?
No, there is no requirement to register a property that is exempt from the Household Charge
Is a property under the Rental Accommodation Scheme exempt from the Household Charge?
There is no exemption granted to those persons who have signed over properties to a local authority under the Rental Accommodation Scheme."
In general properties get "Exemptions" and do not need to register, but as usual the bureaucracy wouldn't make that simple or comprehensible.
