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  2. Property and housing
  3. A guide to rates
  4. Your rate bill
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What happens if you can't pay your rates

Paying your rates is a legal obligation. If you're unable to pay your rates bill, you need to tell Land & Property Services immediately. They will try to arrange a suitable payment agreement with you.

If you do not have a payment arrangement in place for any rates you owe, you should contact LPS to discuss the options available to avoid legal recovery action. Just get in touch using the online form or you can phone LPS directly on 0300 200 7801.

Before you contact LPS

List all the income you have and include:

  • take home pay you and your partner receive
  • any benefits you and your partner receive
  • any money from other people who live with you
  • regular income such as a work pension or maintenance

List where your money goes. Your rent or mortgage, rates and home heating bills are the most important debts. These take priority over debts such as credit cards, catalogues and loans.

Payment agreement

Using these lists, you will see how much money you have. This will help LPS come to a rates payment agreement with you.

Fill in the online form to ask LPS to contact you back about an arrangement when LPS phone lines are busy. If you cannot use the form:

  • phone: 0300 200 7801 (local rate) or +44 2890 485 784 (outside UK)
  • text relay: 18001 0300 200 7801

Help with your rates

There are reliefs and entitlements available to help some ratepayers pay their rates bills.

  • Help paying your rates

Get free debt and benefits advice

If you are having financial difficulties, you can let LPS know. LPS will work with ratepayers to find a solution to allow you to pay your rate bill.

You can get information on handling money, dealing with debt and benefits you may be entitled to:

  • Housing Rights 
  • Step Change Debt Charity
  • Law Centre NI Belfast office
  • Law Centre NI Western area office
  • Advice NI
  • Benefit Enquiry Line

If you don't pay your rates

Ratepayers are responsible for paying rates as set out in their rate bill. It is best to pay off rates debt as soon as possible to avoid legal action.

If you don't pay your rates bill or contact LPS to make an arrangement to pay your bill, LPS will take you to court.

  • What happens if you don't pay your rates

More useful links

  • Rate Rebate Scheme for people on Universal Credit
  • Lone Pensioner Allowance
  • Disabled Person's Allowance
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Your rate bill

  • Complaining to Land & Property Services
  • Domestic rate poundages
  • Getting a rates refund
  • How rate bills are calculated
  • Introducing your rate bill
  • Make changes online to a landlord rate account
  • Make changes to your rate account
  • Occupying and leaving a property
  • Properties you pay rates on
  • Rating of empty homes
  • Request a copy of your rate bill
  • Sign up for rates
  • What happens if you can't pay your rates
  • What happens if you don't pay your rates
  • What rates pay for
  • When a ratepayer has died
  • When you think your rates bill is too high

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What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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