Looks like different Councils require different things. Nothing new there.
Derek.
_________________________________
Derek Ord
Head of Student Administrative Services
Integrated Student Services
University of Hull
(01482) 465980
-----Original Message-----
From: Admin-student [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Toby
Grainger
Sent: 10 December 2004 14:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Council tax certificates
The address is not required on the certificate. A number of Councils
misguidedly think that it is, but it is the student's responsibility to tell
the Council where s/he lives. One of the many good reasons why an address
is
not required is that students move addresses and certificates are
transferable bewteen addresses.
We don't even put the expected end date on our certificates, because it is
meaningless. We have to explain this to the dimmer councils, but they
invariably accept our approach of issuing one certificate for each of the
academic sessions that s student is enrolled.
Toby Grainger
-----Original Message-----
From: Admin-student [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Andy
Robinson
Sent: 10 December 2004 14:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Council tax certificates
Derek
Thanks very much. I agree that we should not be giving them any more
information than is necessary. I feel uncomfortable even confirming the
address because it is only the address that the student has given to us; we
don't actually verify that the student is living there. Our certificates
state that the address has been provided by the student.
Andy
Andy,
We have never experienced this problem. Our certificates merely state that
the student is a full time student, their start date and expected end date,
and the address that the certificate applies to. This has always sufficed
in
the past, and is all that the Council has a right to know.
I would be wary of adding any further information, Data Protection-wise.
What they must bear in mind is that the issue of Council Tax is one between
the student and the Council - we just verify the facts for them. We do get
students who ask us to verify that they are exempt, which we can't do, of
course.
We have had a request from a nearby council that we send them an electronic
file of all students and their addresses. Again, for DPA reasons, we
refused
to do this.
Hope this helps
Derek.
_________________________________
Derek Ord
Head of Student Administrative Services
Integrated Student Services
University of Hull
(01482) 465980
-----Original Message-----
From: Admin-student [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Andy
Robinson
Sent: 10 December 2004 14:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Council tax certificates
Dear Colleagues
We have been experiencing a problem with some local authorities recently.
When we issue a certificate of attendance to a student to claim a reduction
in council tax, a number of those certificates are being returned to us as
unnacceptable by some authorities.
They insist on some really odd requirements or they will not accept the
certificate.
For example, we have recently had one returned by Southwark which indicates
that we must display the College's charity registration number and that we
must indicate specifically how many hours a student studies. We have only
ever stated that a programme is full-time or part-time; full-time is assumed
to be 40 hours per week. However, Southwark have indicated that simply
stating full-time on a certificate no longer satisfies their requirements.
I have spoken to the local authority to try to communicate to them that some
of what they require cannot really be certified, but it seems to fall on
deaf
ears.
Has anyone else been experiencing this problem? Have you amended your
certificate templates as a result of local authorities' requirements? If
so,
what amendments have you made?
Many thanks
Andy
____________________________
Andy Robinson BSc PhD
Senior Assistant Registrar
Student Administration Office
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road
E1 4NS
Phone: 020-7882 5549
Fax: 020-7882 7810
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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