Real life MMD: Is the council tax bill mine?

MsHarvster83

Yes your brothers are helping you out but this does not mean paying something that you don't owe. If you contribute to things you do use like utility bills and food then I don't understand why they would be asking you for more?! Best advice - go to your council office and ask what the situation is. Maybe they can split it in three and you can get council tax benefit like already suggested. Tell your brothers to stop being mean.

serious_saver

I think the real issue here is whether it was understtod from the start that there should be a contribution to the bills.

If he/she moved in on the understanding that they should pay a share of all the household bills then clearly they should, including council tax. Council tax is based on the value of the property. A three bed house will normally be worth more than a two bed. Why should the brothers have to pay for a three bedroom house when they now only have use of two bedrooms?

If the offer for he/she to move in was made without any conditions about paying the bills then it would be reasonable for he/she to assume that they don't have to pay.

Again, if the offer was for temporary help but he/she is staying longer than expected, it would be reasonable to make a contribution (without getting into debt). After all the brothers are losing a room in their home.

Stampede_2

Short answer: Yes pay up.

Firstly: You are relying upon the goodwill and generosity of family in your present situation. Although that is natural the reality is that sometimes there will be differences and even a danger of 'overstaying your welcome'. You need to avoid that situation arising because what is at present a solution to your problems could be the cause of them long term and longer lasting.We all need our own space.

Then: I don't know how old or far back you go but a big argument about 'poll tax' / 'council tax' centres on the fact that taxes based merely on property ownership/ occupation take no account of the individuals ability to pay. They are a crude, blunt instrument with only a small concession made if a single person occupies. I firmly believe that if you put rubbish in the trash cans, you use the parks, send kids to school, may need the police, fire or ambulance etc. - all paid for by the council tax then yes you should pay in proportion.
Doing a few domestic chores is not, in my view, sufficient. You should split it three ways. I do not know how, if at all, it may impact upon any benefits etc. but make sure you are upfront with the various agencies.

:j totally debt free, still and just, but am really annoyed at having to see my prudent savings not keeping up with inflation.

Nick_C

Council Tax is notionally based on a 50% personal element and 50% property element and assumes two people live in the property. The basis for the charge has roots in both the rating and community charge (poll tax) systems.

A single person living alone can claim a 25% discount. Two people living in a household normally pay 100% of the tax, but this can be reduced in certain circumstances.

If your two brothers were paying 100% Council Tax before you moved in, then their liability has not increased.

Council Tax is exactly what it says on the tin - its a tax levied by (Local) government, it is not a charge for services! (It pays for approximately 20% of the local council's costs, with the rest coming from general taxation distributed through Revenue Support Grant. Those of who pay Council Tax are often paying for things we don't use - schools, libraries, social services.)

Your brothers are morally wrong to expect you to help them to pay their Council Tax. They can (presumably) afford to pay Council Tax, you can't. If you lived alone you would not be expected to pay any CT - it would be fully rebated. (You would also be much more heavily subsidised by us tax payers, so I'm sorry that some people have called you a worthless scrounger or words to that effect.)

You should try to help your brothers with any additional expenses they have incurred through you living with them, such as fuel bills. Income support includes a notional amount for fuel (heating & lighting, hot water and cooking) of £28.30 per week.

It is unlikely that the Council would consider you and your brothers to be jointly liable, because this is not a discretionary area. There is a hierarchy of liability - owner, tenant, licensee, occupier. If your brothers are tenants and you are merely staying there with them with their permission, you cannot be liable for Council Tax.

john11dogs

No, you shouldn't pay. You are on benefits, let the ones who are working pay. You do your share with the housework.

antonia1

I don't know what most people on here are thinking telling you to pay up! You are not liable for the council tax, so you should not pay. Their costs for utilities will have gone up after you moved in, so you should really be paying as much of your share of that as you can afford. However, their costs for council tax will not have gone up, so you should not pay that.

Personally, I'm quite shocked that they even asked you to pay up, what happened to families looking after each other?!

DrScotsman

Lemme just make sure I have this right. Your brothers had a spare room, and you moving in has not raised or lowered the house's total council tax. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think you should only be paying what you're brothers "are losing" on you moving in. Under those circumstances, I think that would be your share of the bills (e.g. a third) and some rent, the rent being "equal" to your brothers' inconvenience of you being there (or lower based on their goodwill - you are siblings of course). I don't think council tax comes into this, unless what agoentis is true in which case you've lowered the council tax bill and that should be taken into account.

Sooler

The person whose name is on the bill should pay 75% - the remaining 25% should be shared between everyone else. So you should pay 12.5% of the bill.

You may not have to pay the council tax due to benefits but that is not your brothers problem.

If you don't want to pay go and live on your own. If you chose to live with your brothers then you are responsible for your share of the 25%.

What's the purpose of the benefits you receive - to cover living expenses?

You can decide between yourselves if the one paying the most ought to be compensated in other ways, such as by the others doing other things to make up for it.

serious_saver

DrScotsman wrote: »

Lemme just make sure I have this right. Your brothers had a spare room, and you moving in has not raised or lowered the house's total council tax. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think you should only be paying what you're brothers "are losing" on you moving in. Under those circumstances, I think that would be your share of the bills (e.g. a third) and some rent, the rent being "equal" to your brothers' inconvenience of you being there (or lower based on their goodwill - you are siblings of course). I don't think council tax comes into this, unless what agoentis is true in which case you've lowered the council tax bill and that should be taken into account.

The OP doesn't actually say if they are paying rent or not. If we assume that they are not then 1/3 of the council tax bill is not really a lot to ask. As I mentioned in a previous post they are being inconvenienced by the loss of a room. You say 'spare room' as though there can be NO inconveniece here. My spare room is used as a guest room/ study. Without it I wouldn't be able to have visitors to stay and would feel very inconvenienced.

Unfortunately I think the OP was a little vague about the situation. So everyone is jumping to the conclusion that they are already paying rent.

The best thing for this person to do is sit down and talk it through with their brother's

mramoeba

From what i can see, there is only one person in this situation who is struggling financially so why would the brothers want to put further pressure on? family should be more important than some tax bill. this person says they do all the housework, they are contributing massively if this is true, and in a fair and appropriate way. money is not everything! This person's marriage has split up and is now on benefits for heavens sake, i bet thats not something this person planned or strove for. what goes around comes around, some day these guys may need a little help. That's what family is for.