Martin Lewis has revealed households could be at risk of landing a £1,000 fine if they don’t complete a form sent to them by their local council. The Money Saving Expert advised homeowners to keep an eye out for the Household Enquiry forms during his BBC Radio 5 Live show, saying that it is easily mistaken for junk mail and often mistakenly thrown away.
The forms are usually sent between July and November and are used to ensure the council's data is up to date. The letter lists the residents living at the property, and asks homeowners to check that all of the details are correct. If you don't, you could end up receiving a £1,000 fine.
© Photo: RexMartin Lewis has warned homeowners could be at risk of a £1,000 fine
Martin said the form is sometimes mistaken for junk mail, but as a council letter it is important that it isn't thrown away. "This is a form from the council right across the country. It's effectively asking you to check whether the right people in your household are registered to vote," he said. "Now if you don't deal with that properly - check and tell them the difference - there can be a £1,000 fine."
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He continued: "This is just a note that if you get the Household Enquiry form or you’ve got it or you’ve had it and you’ve thrown it away, you do need to check that it’s right."
The household enquiry form is sent out by local councils
Homeowners who need to make changes to the information can do so by following the instructions on the letter and returning in the pre-paid envelope provided by the council, or completing a form online. If you don't need to make any amends, you can simply follow the council's instructions to respond by text, phone or online.
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Martin will be sharing more of his top consumer tips with the return of his ITV show, The Martin Lewis Money Show, where he promised in the live episode he will show viewers 13 more ways to reclaim thousands of pounds now the PPI deadline has passed.
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