Gordon Brown mocks homeowners

Trainee officials are learning how to band England’s 22 million properties by applying fantasy “virtual” values to homes in a fictional town called Slim City.

The revelation has sparked outrage as critics slammed Labour for making light of council tax hikes which have brought misery to millions.

Caroline Spelman, Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, said: “Ministers may think this training tool is entertaining but it’s not a game for many hard-working families who have suffered under Labour’s exorbitant council tax rises and are set to suffer further.

“They have created a virtual world for the clipboard-wielding tax officials to learn how to size up family bedrooms, measure your conservatory and put a value on your scenic view.”

Poor guesswork by inspectors has already led to thousands of homes being placed in the wrong council tax band, meaning almost half a million Britons are now paying more than they should.

The average council tax bill is set to rise by 1.6 per cent from April which, together with increases in other household bills, will add another £350 to the cost of running a home in 2010.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Council tax revaluation has been a nightmare for many taxpayers when their bills have gone through the roof following a band change. Many struggle to pay the higher instalments, so it should never be made light of by frivolous computer games. It’s a serious matter, not a bit of fun.”

New recruits at the Valuation Office Agency are being invited to test their inspecting skills by using make-believe Slim City to place homes in one of eight council tax bands. Among the fake residents are “the Tofts” who live at Manor Farm with a butler called Abel Retainer.

Sir Desmond, who made his money as the chairman of Sickens Dog Food, and his wife Lady Daphne have built a swimming pool which could push their home into a higher council tax band.

The town’s undertakers, Jack and Vera Reaper, live with their “ageing poodle Suzy” and “cantankerous Grandma Moses”. They have built a conservatory and refitted their kitchen which could also see them pushed into a higher council tax band.

Meanwhile, business has been so good for Sachin and Myra Sawhney they want to sell up and move from grimy Slim City to leafy Yuppington Gardens.

Trainees have to find the right value for the couple’s Victorian terrace in Plughole Street, which overlooks the River Sludge. The Slim City game reminds wannabe tax inspectors that valuing a home is not a science and they have to use their own judgment.

A series of exercises aims to teach recruits the “comparable method of valuation”, looking at how many bedrooms a property has, whether it enjoys good views, is near good public transport links and is in a nice area.

“Valuation is a skill. It involves analysis and judgment and it’s something that you will develop with experience,” the website says.

However, the Sunday Express has revealed that more than 400,000 people are trapped in the wrong council tax bands, the victims of poor guesswork by their inspector.

The Tories have promised to write to families paying too much council tax telling them how they can claw back up to £1,400 in rebate. They have also pledged a freeze on council tax hikes for two years, the abolition of Labour’s planned revaluation and the removal of the right of council tax inspectors to enter your home.

Homes are routinely revalued when they are sold. In 2009 1,000 homes a month moved up at least one band after going on to the market. A family living in a Band D home can expect an average bill of £1,414 a year. If the property moves up to Band E, they would have to fork out another £314 a year, while moving up to Band F would mean an extra £628 a year.

Mrs Spelman said Gordon Brown has been caught “red handed” planning for the first nationwide revaluation since 1991. She said it was a tax bombshell timed to go off just after the General Election.

A spokeswoman for the Valuation Office Agency insisted the game was not meant to be flippant. She said: “Slim City is part of the Valuation Office Agency’s e-learning programme on council tax.

“It is an alternative approach to learning, using imaginary properties and occupiers to bring the subject to life and assist understanding and recall.”