Frequently asked questions

Run our free check — it takes 30 seconds. Common reasons people overpay include: being placed in the wrong band when the property was valued in 1991, not claiming a single-person discount, or missing disability and carer discounts they are entitled to.

The main ones are: 25% single-person discount (if you live alone or are the only adult), full student exemption, 25–100% disability reduction (Disabled Band Relief), 50% carer disregard if you live with and care for a disabled person, and SMI (severe mental impairment) exemption. Some councils offer additional local discounts.

Properties in England were valued by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) as of 1 April 1991 and placed into bands A–H. If your property has changed significantly, or the original valuation appears wrong compared to similar properties nearby, you may be able to challenge it.

We only submit claims where evidence suggests your band should be lower, not higher. Dueback will never submit a challenge that could result in a band increase — that is a core part of how the service works.

Most discounts (single person, student, disability) can be backdated to the date you first qualified. A successful band reduction is backdated to when you moved in or 1 April 1993, whichever is later. Councils vary in how far they actively backdate without a formal request.

We analyse your council tax situation, prepare a personalised application letter, and submit it directly to your council on your behalf. We are a document preparation and submission service — not a claims management company. Whether a reduction is granted is always at your council's discretion.

Yes — always. You can contact your council directly at any time and apply for any discount, exemption, or band review at no cost. Dueback's £7.99 fee covers the preparation and submission of the paperwork on your behalf. We include this notice on our pricing page too.

We generate your personalised letter and submit it to your council. You will receive a copy by email and can track progress in your Dueback account. If your council rejects the application, we generate a formal appeal letter at no extra cost.

It varies. London boroughs typically reply within 4–6 weeks. Metropolitan and city councils take 6–8 weeks. District and rural councils can take 8–12 weeks. If you haven't heard after 12 weeks, email us at support@dueback.co.uk and we will chase your council on your behalf.

A small number of councils do not publish an email address and require online form submissions. If yours is one of them, our team will complete the web submission on your behalf at no extra charge.

After you receive your free analysis and decide to proceed. You pay £7.99 before we submit your claim. There are no subscription fees and no hidden charges.

We do not offer refunds for unsuccessful claims — the fee covers the preparation and submission of your paperwork, which we carry out regardless of outcome. We do generate a free appeal letter if your initial application is rejected.

No. Dueback charges a fixed £7.99 administrative fee upfront, not a percentage of savings. This is deliberately lower-cost and more transparent than traditional claims management firms.

We share only the information required to process your council tax application with your local council. We use Nodemailer to send emails, MongoDB to store your claim data, and Vercel to host the service. We do not sell your data to any third party.

Go to Account settings and use the 'Erase my data' option. This permanently deletes your account and all associated information from our systems within 30 days, in line with GDPR Article 17.

No. Council tax is a local government administrative matter, not a financial product or personal injury claim. Dueback is not regulated by the FCA or any claims management regulator. Our service is document preparation and submission only.