Council Tax Benefit and Back Pay of Tax Credits

mitchaa

ndeppy wrote: »

Ive been on the Entitled to website several times to find out exactly what im entitled to ? Good job i did because we was only receiving £10.56 a week tax credits and should have been receiving £120.18 !! BIG DIFFERENCE !! Were due the backpay over £2000 but have to wait until the end of the tax year !! has this happened to anyone else ?? It also said on the entitled to website we shouldnt be paying council tax because were on such a low income !! However NORTH LINCS COUNCIL say NO we have to pay it whose right ?? anyone know ?? (our gross yearly income is £12000 maybe a bit less!) i feel really pi**ed off because were struggling to pay our bills inc council tax so if its true we shouldnt be paying it then WHY do the council say otherwise ?? .:mad:

What was your income April 2008 to March 2009?

This is the figure they use for your current £10.56pw award. Was it higher than what it is now?

I suspect you may be getting confused with what your earnings are today. You may well be earning £12k pa now but were you for the whole term of the 08/09 financial year?

The entitled to calculator is just that, a calculator. It has no regulative authority.

sunnyone

OrkneyStar wrote: »

Why don't you think you should have to pay council tax on £12000 ?
As far as I am aware on that income it would be full council tax, or only a slight discount (unless there are other benefits such as DLA, which can change the amount you are expected to pay!). Council tax benefit is for people with very low incomes!
Our income is not much more than yours and our tax credits are a bit less- maybe because we have only 1 child- and we are not entitled to any council tax benefit. Council tax should be next on the list of priority payments after rent/mortgage, before food, utilities, and any other bill such as credit cards etc!
Have you debts ? If so get over to the debt free wanabee boards, and for general tips on lowering your grocery spending etc, then the Old Style board.
Of course check, check and double check with the council, but don't be shocked if they come back saying you should be paying it all yourselves!

Most people on DLA dont qualify for the band reduction because they dont fit the criteria, you need a seperate kitchen or bathroom adapted for the sole use of the disabled person or need a bigger home to allow wheelchair use or need a seperate room solely for the storage of medical equiptment and/or aids, very few people have any of these things.

OrkneyStar

sunnyone wrote: »

Most people on DLA dont qualify for the band reduction because they dont fit the criteria, you need a seperate kitchen or bathroom adapted for the sole use of the disabled person or need a bigger home to allow wheelchair use or need a seperate room solely for the storage of medical equiptment and/or aids, very few people have any of these things.

Note the words in my original response, which you kindly highlighted in red, 'such as' (implying one of a few) and 'which can' (implying that it might or might not!).

NEH

Echo what the others have said entitled to isn't the be all and end all...

It said we were entitled to council tax as we have very little income but because we have a flat we don't qualify so it can be wrong...

As for tax credits well we're as cofnsued as you are as we can't sort out what to do next as our estimated income for this year is way too much and we don't know whether or not to wait till April to get it changed. We' re off to the CAB tomorrow to get some advice maybe that is something that would help you?

sunnyone

OrkneyStar wrote: »

Note the words in my original response, which you kindly highlighted in red, 'such as' (implying one of a few) and 'which can' (implying that it might or might not!).

You mentioned a discount that is very hard to get and didnt give any details of that discount which could cause confusion to many disabled people in receipt of DLA.

OrkneyStar

sunnyone wrote: »

You mentioned a discount that is very hard to get and didnt give any details of that discount which could cause confusion to many disabled people in receipt of DLA.

When in receipt of DLA it is possible to get certain discounts, as the amount considered you need to live on can be increased (eg someone who is on a high enough level of DLA, and also on income support, may well be awarded premiums when calculating how much they need to live on, and thus possibly be awarded some council tax benefit, or housing benefit). I did not say everyone on DLA automatically gets the discount, or that it was the only benefit which may attract such a discount. The reason I did not go into specifics was because this thread is not actually about someone who is disabled/on DLA, and I was trying to think of any reason why they might think they are entitled to a discount/benefit! Perhaps I should also query other potential reasons, but disability (of claimant/partner/child) can sometimes be where different procedures apply!
As for causing confusion, anyone who is confused and perhaps not sure if they are getting all they are entitled to should get a check with their local CAB (or other free agency) who can make sure no one is missing anything, or feeling hard-done-by, when they shouldn't.