Real Life MMD: Should I split the repayment?

blueamigo

Easy. If an agreement has been made to split the bill then fine- this agreement appears to have worked well. There is no indication that the third of the council tax bill was not paid to the employed house mate during the period you were unemployed so it seems the employed person has not suffered any financial loss. The rebate was for your circumstances and should therefore be yours. IF the housemate has suffered financially and the rebate could be partially used to redress the balance and help maintain harmony in the house!

happyinflorida

You've really been taken for a ride for too long! Firstly I would not have agreed to pay towards HER council tax as you were entitled to pay no council tax as you were a student, therefore not earning, on student loans = already getting into debt, she was working, therefore she should have paid HER council tax!
Now you're entitled to council tax benefit as you're no longer a student but you are unemployed so you're on benefits & that doesn't give you very much income at all & they expect you to share your council tax benefit?!!! Hello?! No way - you've already paid more than you should have, tell them to go swivel, which you should have done from the start! Learn from this, do not agree to pay more than you should & you don't pay at all when you shouldn't. Do not let these people rip you off any further! How much debt do you want to end up in?!

CIS

Now you're entitled to council tax benefit as you're no longer a student but you are unemployed so you're on benefits & that doesn't give you very much income at all & they expect you to share your council tax benefit

The problem now is that as a non-student they are jointly liable for any council tax due - even if they have receive some council tax benefit they are still liable for the remaining amount.

Bellamia_2

I agree that if students shouldnt have to pay then they shouldnt, but at the same time if a non student then becomes part of the picture why should they pay 75% of what could be a very large house when they are taking up just one room??

Ebenezer_Screwj

It sounds complicated but anyway, why should you share your benefit with anyone just because of an arrangement that is now history ?

ThinkingOfLinking

Actually, I'd go so far as to say that suggesting sharing YOUR council tax benefit is tantamount to incitement to commit fraud.

PegasusPJ

A.Jones wrote: »

Simple, don't live with students. If you want to pay less council tax, move in to 12 person house with 11 other workers.

People here seem to assume you can always chose who you live with.
It's not the case, I've shared houses with people I didn't know or chose, the landlord did.

you say to people working: don't live with student, but the other way round is just as valid.

I think it's fair to share the council tax bill equally.

otoh, a benefit is yours and yours alone and you certainly should not give her anything. what next? share your wage?

cuba2008

As others have said, students shouldn't have had to contribute to council tax in the first place as they were exempt (I know that, whilst my sister in law was at Uni she was exempt and her husband received a 25% discount as a single occupant). However, that was agreed when you all moved in and you actually helped out the employed girl by doing so. Having said that, if the employed girl didn't want to be responsible for 75% of the bill, perhaps she shouldn't have moved in with students in the first place. As far as the council tax rebate is concerned, no you most certain shouldn't have to give her any of it! She certainly wants jam on it doesn't she? You received that benefit because, after leaving Uni, for a short while were unemployed. You now have a job and are paying your share of the bills. As long as you are up to date with your share of the council tax, no one has a right to a share. The council presumably have simply taken ages to sort out your (at the time) valid claim and that is why the cheque has only just been received when you have found a job. There is certainly no reason why anyone else should benefit from your misfortune.

bye_bye_band_G

If one worker lives with one student they are likely to be living in a Band A or B small property and the worker will only have to pay 75% of a smallish bill.
If one worker lives with 11 students it will be a large property with higher market value, it may be Band F or G and the worker finds himself having to pay 75% of a huge bill.
Of course none of those students are going to help out with the bill, nor should they, so it becomes pretty prohibitive for a worker to share in a large property with students, shame.

rose28454

Just to say although my son had to pay 75% of the Council Tax when sharing with 5 students it was worth it as he got to live in a really lovely flat in Central London in a Doorman building and as it was in a Westminster CC area the bill was only £75.00 per month. The only problem was Westminster CC kept getting the bills wrong and you could never talk to anybody sensible to sort it out.