The main counci offices will be closed over Christmas, so we will not be able to respond to online forms, including contact forms, during this time. You can check our opening hours.
Authority to discuss
For some services, we will only discuss the details of your case with you or with someone who has your permission to talk to us.
This authority to discuss is for:
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax
- Housing Register applications
- homelessness or housing enquiries
There are three ways to give someone your authority to discuss.
To give someone on-going authority to discuss, you will need to complete the form and return to us.
To complete the form, you will need:
- your name, address and contact details
- to tell us which services you want your representative to have permission to discuss
- your claim, account or reference numbers
- the name, address and contact details of your representative
- your representative's relationship to you
- to sign and date the form
Once you have completed the form, you can return it:
- by uploading it via our contact form
- in person at our Customer Service Centre postbox
- by post to the address listed on the form
Once we receive your form, we will make a note on your account, giving permission for your representative to discuss your account or claim.
You can give verbal authority to discuss when you call us.
To give a representative your authority to discuss, you will need to:
- make the call when they are with you
- tell us their name and relationship to you
- confirm that you are giving them permission to discuss your account or claim with us
We will make a note on your account of who we spoke to.
The authority to discuss will only last for that call. If you want the authority to discuss for future calls, you will need to fill in our authority to discuss form.
To give authority to discuss under power of attorney, you will need to send us proof that this in place.
As proof, you can send us a copy of the relevant legal document. You will also need to tell us which service the authority to discuss relates to.
You can return your proof:
- by uploading it via our contact form
- in person at our Customer Service Centre postbox
- by post to Customer Services, Chelmsford City Council, Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JE
Once we receive your proof, we will make a note on the account for the relevant service(s), giving permission for your representative to discuss your account.