Does Northgate really believe that there is, literally, a single person discount?
It would appear that this is the case.
Here is the law allowing councils to contract out the function of ascertaining entitlement, which Northgate currently does:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1880/article/12/made
2) An authority may authorise a contractor for the purposes of calculating the chargeable amount in respect of any dwelling in the authority’s area to—
(a)take such steps as the contractor considers reasonable to ascertain whether that amount is subject to any discount under section 11 of the Act (discounts) or, in the case of a dwelling in Wales, that section or section 12 of the Act (discounts: special provision for Wales), and if so, the amount of that discount;
(b)determine whether there is reason to believe that the chargeable amount in respect of a dwelling for the financial year in question is subject to a discount; and
(c)make the assumption that the chargeable amount either is or is not subject to a discount.
Northgate persistently produces legally misleading briefing which appear to indicate beyond reasonable doubt that they incorrectly believe that Section 11 contains a 'single person discount' to which only those living literally alone are entitled. It would appear that they are not making the assumption required in (c) above as this assumption relates to the assumption required under Regulations 15 and 20. If they were making it they would not be claiming to be carrying out 'reviews' of entitlement to a discount which does not really exist. Northgate repeatedly state that they make use of Experian in ascertaining entitlement. My view is that the reason a 'single person discount' has been invented may well be that only in this way can an argument be mounted that the use made of the full electoral register is for a statutory duty related to the enforcement of the (criminal) law or to crime prevention. Here is a good example of the sort of fudge and equivocation which ensues. Here is the often repeated claim that 'ascertaining entitlement to a discount' equates to 'checking its validity' and to checking the 'validity' of a discount which does not exist in a context where either Northgate or the council most certainly ought not to be assuming that there is any entitlement on a particular basis under Section 11(1).
http://www.darlington.gov.uk/Advice%20and%20Benefits/Council%20Tax/singlepersonreview.htm
The fact that Darlington puts this utter nonsense on a benefits page, when this is not a benefit and should not be confused with a benefit is just the cream on the cake of confusion and public misinformation.
Northgate persistently produces legally misleading briefing which appear to indicate beyond reasonable doubt that they incorrectly believe that Section 11 contains a 'single person discount' to which only those living literally alone are entitled. It would appear that they are not making the assumption required in (c) above as this assumption relates to the assumption required under Regulations 15 and 20. If they were making it they would not be claiming to be carrying out 'reviews' of entitlement to a discount which does not really exist. Northgate repeatedly state that they make use of Experian in ascertaining entitlement. My view is that the reason a 'single person discount' has been invented may well be that only in this way can an argument be mounted that the use made of the full electoral register is for a statutory duty related to the enforcement of the (criminal) law or to crime prevention. Here is a good example of the sort of fudge and equivocation which ensues. Here is the often repeated claim that 'ascertaining entitlement to a discount' equates to 'checking its validity' and to checking the 'validity' of a discount which does not exist in a context where either Northgate or the council most certainly ought not to be assuming that there is any entitlement on a particular basis under Section 11(1).
How do Northgate and Experian check the validity of the single person discount?
In order to do this, all the accounts that are currently in receipt of the single person discount are passed to Experian who do a search against the property and not the individual as Experian receive no names.
http://www.darlington.gov.uk/Advice%20and%20Benefits/Council%20Tax/singlepersonreview.htm
The fact that Darlington puts this utter nonsense on a benefits page, when this is not a benefit and should not be confused with a benefit is just the cream on the cake of confusion and public misinformation.