Eastbourne Council really take the biscuit.
They quote this law on a page about 'single person discounts':
The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Detection of Fraud and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 provide for a collecting authority to impose a penalty of £70 on a person if they fail to give prompt notification of a change of circumstances.
What takes the biscuit about this is that not only has this got nothing to do with the Section 11 25% discount but also it isn't even what the regulations themselves say in the case of council tax reduction schemes.
If you don't believe me, Google them.
The Council Tax Reduction Schemes Regs refer to Council Tax Reduction Schemes and not to discounts of 15% received in accordance with the law.
There is no obligation under any regulation to tell the council if you are not liable to a 'single person discount' which does not exist in law.
If you live in Eastbourne and you are still entitled to your 25% discount, tell them to get lost. Tell them to get their web site right.
Eastbourne have contracted out council tax discount functions to Northgate. One has to wonder to whom they have contracted out editing their web site. They have a duty to ensure that council taxation law is not misrepresented, but they probably sacked all the people who knew anything about it a long time ago and are absolutely powerless to do anything about the appalling illegality of what their contractors are doing.
Northgate claim that they are ascertaining entitlement to discounts. They appear to be making decisions about sole or main residence in ways that are odds with the requirements of the law, and on basis which valuation tribunals regularly throw out. So this is of dubious legality. To make it more annoying, they claim they are 'checking' whether people are entitled to receive a discount which does not exist but which they allege these people are claiming... same old same old
