Counil tax cleaned out my bank account

tesuhoha

Maybe you should arrange to collect your family allowance fromthe Post Office and not have it paid into the bank while all this is going on.

oakdale_minx

hi lifeslove - just wanted to ask if you were ok today and were managing to get through the weekend. Was thinking of you yesterday. x

poppy52

Please, please, please everyone, pay your council tax (and rent/mortgage and utility bills) before you pay almost any other debt. Most other debts are not priority debts and the banks and credit card companies have limited powers to act against you. Non payment of Council tax, in England at least, can lead to prison, especially if you make an agreement with them and don't keep to it. If you have some money to pay a debt and you have a credit card bill to pay and a council tax bill to pay, always always pay the council tax first. And if you can't pay, please do not bury your head in the sand because they will not go away, they will just get harder and harder and treat you as a 'won't pay' not as a 'can't pay'. Keep talking to them about the problem and always stick to any agreement.

Bossyboots

lifeslove wrote:

Just found theis on the National debtline website

What if my bank account is arrested?

A Bank Account Arrestment will freeze your account until you give authority or a "mandate" for release of an amount to cover either the total debt due, or a lump sum towards it. If you don't sign the mandate the creditor can raise a "Furthcoming Action" for the bank to release the funds. If you have been left with no money because of the arrestment e.g. your wages had just been paid into the bank, try to get the sheriff officer to accept a proportion, e.g. 50% of the amount arrested and make them an offer to repay the rest of the debt by instalments. They may insist on you giving them details of your employment so they can arrest your wages if you default. Our pack "Dealing with your Debts" has a section on this

It doesn't seem as though your account has been arrested. They have taken one of the other options which is to take money from your account. From the links, it would seem that although they can take money from your account under the new system that was brought in they were supposed to use other methods.

You must get on to the straightaway to stop them taking any more.

halloweenqueen_2

Sorry to hear about your problems, how are you coping?

lifeslove

oakdale_minx wrote:

hi lifeslove - just wanted to ask if you were ok today and were managing to get through the weekend. Was thinking of you yesterday. x

I'm doing okay thanks for asking. I took my boots back to Next and got my refund so I had £25 to spend yesterday:j I shopped wisely so kids have nappies and we have food, not the luxuries my teenagers would like but I told them they were lucky to have something. Isn't it amazing when you take money for granted, I normally just throw everything into my trolley and wonder why I am surprised at the cost. I watched every penny yesterday and actually got quite a lot.
I'm still hopeful I can come to an agreement tomorrow with the tax people and perhaps get some of my money back, then I can talk nicely to the rent people and explain why I am short this month.
I am glad I had you guys to share this with, thanks for being here for me.

halloweenqueen_2

Good for you, at least you are positive! Hope it all goes well.

looby75

Have you spoken to the council yet?

Floss

Did you manage to speak to the council?

lifeslove

Well I spoke to the company who act on behalf of the council and they agreed to give me back £100 if I went into the office and sign a mandate there and then so they could have the other £250. I asked when I would get my money back and was told it would be straight away. I took a trip to the office, signed and asked the guy to confirm I would get my money back. He looked baffled and said they had to send a letter to the bank to 'release' my money but perhaps if I took the letter to my local branch they could sort it. Down town with kids in tow only to be told it had to be sent away to relevant department in Edinburgh and could take a few days (this was monday morning and no money in account yet)
I wouldn't be quite so ticked off it they had been honest about the time taken in the first place, I would have still signed the mandate.
Anyway what with taking boots back to Next (they were so nice too) and my family allowance this week we have been okay, I get paid on Friday so the rent people will be getting paid then and I can start getting back to normal.
Oh and I have worked out a payment plan with the council to repay the debt.
I have realised this week though how much I spend on rubbish when I go to Tesco, I have a habit of popping in on the way home from work at around 11pm for milk and end up spending £20 on nothing. I haven't been able to do it this week so shall be giving up this nasty habit .

So I want to say thank you to all of you for your support :A