Thousands in Lewisham could be owed millions in council tax refunds
An information request to Lewisham Council revealed that a total of £7,863,925.04 (between 2000 and 2025) remains unclaimed across 57,977 households.
The figure represents 25 years of overpaid council tax, with credits left on closed or inactive accounts during that timeframe.
The figures, released in response to a Freedom of Information request, show that many residents could unknowingly be entitled to refunds worth hundreds of pounds.
The unclaimed money dates to the year 2000 and includes overpayments made as recently as 2025.
Between the year 2000 and 30 June 2025, Lewisham Council collected £2,686,604,331 in council tax, and the amount currently left in unclaimed credits represents 0.2927 per cent of that total.
According to Lewisham Council, 67.89 per cent of council tax accounts are paid by Direct Debit as of June 30, 2025.
Of the total £7,863,925.04 in overpaid council tax held by Lewisham Council, 18.2 per cent relates to the last three years, at £1,433,477.29.
In the 2023 financial year, £573,502.38 was overpaid, representing 0.0213 per cent of all council tax collected between 2000 and 2025.
This increased in 2024, with £802,060.72 in overpayments, equating to 0.0299 per cent of the total collected.
In the first half of 2025 alone, a further £57,914.19 was recorded as overpaid, making up 0.0022 per cent.
The majority of Lewisham's council tax accounts are paid by Direct Debit.
As of June 30, 2025, 67.89 per cent of all council tax accounts used Direct Debit as the primary payment method.
In most cases, overpayments made via Direct Debit are refunded automatically, however refunds can be missed if an account is closed - such as when a resident moves house - or if payment details are no longer up to date.
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: "Lewisham Council is committed to ensuring our council tax collection processes are transparent and fair.
"We appreciate that overpayments may occur from time to time for a variety of reasons. When this happens, residents can be sure that any overpaid council tax is accounted for and can be refunded upon request.
"Anyone who believes they may have overpaid or who wishes to query a council tax bill should get in touch using our dedicated online form.
"We review every claim and, where a refund is warranted, payments are processed within 20 working days. In many cases refunds are sent automatically once an overpayment is identified."
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