Council Tax, Court summons

emoray

Hi everyone,

I have received a letter from my local council for a court summons on the 22nd Feb.

I owe the council 6 months council tax currently plus court fees. Of those 6 months I lost my job and so didn't work for one of them, firstly I need to know how to claim that months unemployment (I am under the impression that I don't have to pay it for that month).

Secondly I rang up the 'recovery line' and presumed that they would let me pay the money back in installments which I am happy to do. However I only start my new job at the end of Feb and so will not have enough money until the end of March to start paying it off and so there is not enough time as they wanted the full amount before April 1st.

They advised me to speak to the CAB who can apparently create a 'finacial statement'. I can't get in touch with them until Monday PM, so can anyone tell me exactly what this means and how it is going to effect my repayments?

I have literally around 500 in the bank (my rent at the end of the month is 500) and so can't do anything until I start my new job.

Thank you for your time!

viktory

You cannot retrospectively claim council tax. You should have made a claim at the time of your unemployment. Ignorance is no defence, either. I would suggest you beg or borrow the money to start making repayments - council tax is a priority debt and even if you make an offer they may turn it down. The CAB will help you complete a financial assessment form which you or they will they send to your council. Your CT debt will come immediately after rent or mortgage and before anything else. It is very important that you keep the council tax department informed on what you are doing to pay them their money - or they may escalate their income recovery procedures.

CIS

They advised me to speak to the CAB who can apparently create a 'finacial statement'. I can't get in touch with them until Monday PM, so can anyone tell me exactly what this means and how it is going to effect my repayments?

CAB can help you make an offer to the council but, as posted above, they don't have to accept it.

If your going to CAB it may be worth asking the council if they will hold for a week or so. I've held action on quite a few cases recently as people are having to wait a week to ten days for an appointment.

There's nothing to stop you drafting an income and expenditure statement yourself and sending it in - CAB have no powers or authority that you don't have and in some cases I've dealt with have actually hindered people because of their delays.

emoray

Thank you for your very quick replies!

I basically graduated and it was my first job and first time paying council tax and so I've been naive to the fact it needs to be paid before April.

Does anyone know if it's the end of or beginning of April that it needs to be paid by? As my first pay day will be the last day in March and that will be more than enough to cover it then! Do you think it would be possible for me to tell them I can pay on March 31st, or will this be cutting it too fine?

viktory

emoray wrote: »

Thank you for your very quick replies!

I basically graduated and it was my first job and first time paying council tax and so I've been naive to the fact it needs to be paid before April.

Does anyone know if it's the end of or beginning of April that it needs to be paid by? As my first pay day will be the last day in March and that will be more than enough to cover it then! Do you think it would be possible for me to tell them I can pay on March 31st, or will this be cutting it too fine?

The financial year ends on 31st March, so they may be happy to accept a full cash payment on this day. You'll have to ask them.

CIS

Statutory instalments for the new year will start on 1 April 2011 (unless they agree an alternative with you).

With regards to your arrears you need to agree a payment date with them - the decision is theirs as to whether they accept it.

emoray

Thanks guys, again super quick and informative replies!

I guess I'll ring them on Monday and see if they will take full payment on that day.

Do I have any other options if they don't?

And also will it be a person that I need to convince to take the payment on that date, or will they have their own specific rules in general that can't be changed?

CIS

And also will it be a person that I need to convince to take the payment on that date, or will they have their own specific rules in general that can't be changed?

They'll have their own procedures but at this time of the year (and the way the budgets have been cut) they wont generally turn down an offer of payment that will clear before the year end.

In general I would probably ask for £50 or so as an immediate payment and then the balance at the end of March. It tends to give you more of an idea as to whether the person will pay or not.