Divorce and Council Tax

Lowincome

I have two small pensions of which my ex wife gets an attachment of 33% on one and 50% on the other. I am paying tax on both before the attachments and the council benefits office will not give me a rebate because they calculate my income as the full amount of the pension before the attachments are taken off. So the divorce has stopped me getting benefits I should be entitled to and the tax man is taking tax on money I don't receive. I feel penalised because I am a divorced person.:mad:

sammyjammy

Not sure what your question is?

Think of it like your pension is your salary, you pay tax on your earnings and then a % of those earnings is given to your wife as maintenance, its no different, I don't understand why you think you should get tax relief on what goes to your wife.

Lowincome

sammyjammy wrote: »

Not sure what your question is?

Think of it like your pension is your salary, you pay tax on your earnings and then a % of those earnings is given to your wife as maintenance, its no different, I don't understand why you think you should get tax relief on what goes to your wife.

You are right but I should not be penalised by not being paid the council tax rebate I would be entitled to because they take the gross pension into account - so you do the honourable thing by your ex and then not be allowed the same benefits as others with the same net amount going into the household. Which ever way you spin it if monies received into the home from whatever the source is below the minimum living allowance you should be entitled to benefits.

sammyjammy

So do you give the money to your ex voluntarily? If its court ordered and you have documentation then I think you are right it should not be classed as your income. How does your ex receive the money? If its deducted at source to her then I believe it should be disregarded.

Caz3121

sammyjammy wrote: »

If its court ordered and you have documentation then I think you are right it should not be classed as your income.

not sure if that is correct as people that pay child support under court orders or CSA still have their income treated as the full amount