intrusive questions on council tax form

missapril75

dori2o wrote: »

1- it has nothing to do with anyone, government, taxpayer, anyone what I or anyone else spends THEIR money on. Whether that be benefits, earnings, inheretance, gifts....

There are situations where it can do. Witness the threads on deprivation of capital.

2- It seems to have gotten lost that DLA is not an assessable income. i.e. it is not to be included in a persons/households total income for the purpose of means testing.

You are forgetting that there are very many changes in benefits coming up. Just because something is law now doesn't mean it won't change. Just look at the changes that have already happened.

What if there's a new rule that says the existence of an income that doesn't get deducted from benefits might have a bearing on whether (or how much) HB or CTB may be restricted.

Therefore the Council have no right to know how this money is spent.

They may enquire, by way of questions on the form, whether the condition each individual has would qualify them as a vulnerable person, based on the councils own criteria for vulnerability.

But what if the spending is crucial. For example the OP was asked if they had a motability car. Some people do that instead of using the money for taxis, for example. What do you need if you have a motability car?

A parking place for it.

If a parking place (drive/garage) means one pays more for ones home - be it rent or council tax (higher because the house is a higher value) then maybe a restriction on CTB or HB would be less likely because they need the parking facility.

The "all statutory agencies are interfering busybodies" default position is no better than the "do what they say if you want free money" knee-jerk response.

missapril75

dori2o wrote: »

Would you answer questions about how often you masturbated...in order to claim benefits?

Depends if they were offering a hand. :rotfl:

missapril75

sunnyone wrote: »

You are wrong about DLA not being counted for CTB, it was ignored but with the changes its up to individual councils as to wether to ignore it or not and no doubt many councils will decide to count it their by "taxing" DLA payments.

Good point. And I imagine that if a motability car is involved that would mean the person involved didn't actually have the money. So the council would have no choice but to ignore it.

See, people? That would mean it was to the applicant's benefit that they were asked the question.

Oh look...a statutory agency very wisely thought of the question.

dori2o

sunnyone wrote: »

You are wrong about DLA not being counted for CTB, it was ignored but with the changes its up to individual councils as to wether to ignore it or not and no doubt many councils will decide to count it their by "taxing" DLA payments.

Actually sunnyone, yet again you are wrong. It's becoming a habit this.

DLA is still a non taxable benefit, it is still unable to be taken into account for any means test, that includes council tax benefit, despite the fact councils can make up their own rules on how to administer it, they cannot change what income is and is not included in the test.

tomtom256 wrote: »

It's not ignorance. Not all disabled people are unable to work and many do have an ability to earn and in fact do earn a living whilst claiming DLA so do not tar disabled people by inferring all are on benefits and not earning there way thankyou.

Rather than cherry pick small parts of posts, why not read the whole thing in the context of how it was written.

I am disabled and I work, so I'm not tarring anyone with anything. The list in the post was not exhaustive or inclusive, but was an example of some of the things that some disabled people face.

I stick by the fact that those who object to people getting these benefits on account of disability or severe ill health, would look upon the situation a lot differently if they had to live with a disability/ severe ill health.

sunnyone

dori2o wrote: »

Actually sunnyone, yet again you are wrong. It's becoming a habit this.

DLA is still a non taxable benefit, it is still unable to be taken into account for any means test, that includes council tax benefit, despite the fact councils can make up their own rules on how to administer it, they cannot change what income is and is not included in the test.

With the changes its up to LA's what counts as income and what dosnt, DLA can and will be included in some LA's council tax calculations which is why the OP is being asked wether they have a motability car, if they do HRM DLA will be ignored.

We dont claim council tax benefit but we do get a band reduction due to me being a fulltime powerchair user, we do get the forms and information leaflet for council tax benefit (they seem to assume we will get council tax benefit) alongside the form to confirm my band reduction and this year the information leaflet explains about the changes.

letthemeatcake

There is the possibility that if you are using it to pay for a cleaner or someone to help with care and you pay in cash they will ask for further details in order to identify those who claim council tax and/or other benefits but do not declare their income.

It is also possible that those who do not use their DLA fully could be seen as having additional income.

I'm not saying this policy is correct I'm just trying to work out possible reasons why they need to ask what DLA is spent on if it has no bearing on entitlement to CTB.

watcher13

As has been said earlier CTB is being abolished in April to be replaced with a local Council based support and therefore the information required may well change.

Additionally DLA is being replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and current DLA recipients will be reassessed for PIP.

sunnyone

watcher13 wrote: »

As has been said earlier CTB is being abolished in April to be replaced with a local Council based support and therefore the information required may well change.

Additionally DLA is being replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and current DLA recipients will be reassessed for PIP.

They have changed the delivery dates for PIP, from 8th April 2013 all new claims from control start areas in the North West and part of the North East will be assessed for PIP instead of DLA.

From June 2013 all new claims in GB. will be assessed for PIP.

From October 2013 fixed period renewal DLA awards will start to be assessed for PIP as will supersession requests for indefinate DLA awards.

From October 2015 all remaining claimants of DLA will start to be invited to make a claim for PIP, the selction will be random.

dori2o

sunnyone wrote: »

They have changed the delivery dates for PIP, from 8th April 2013 all new claims from control start areas in the North West and part of the North East will be assessed for PIP instead of DLA.

From June 2013 all new claims in GB. will be assessed for PIP.

From October 2013 fixed period renewal DLA awards will start to be assessed for PIP as will supersession requests for indefinate DLA awards.

From October 2015 all remaining claimants of DLA will start to be invited to make a claim for PIP, the selction will be random.

Just a note with this one as discussed in other threads.

It is not the end date of the award that is relevent in these cases it is the assessment date of the DLA claim, which is 20 weeks before the end date.

So if your claims end date is on or before 23 February 2014, you will be able to reclaim DLA and not be assessed for PIP, unless you choose to be assessed for PIP.

Those with claims which have an end date of 24 Feb 2014 or later will be assessed under PIP as the assessment date for their existing DLA awards is 7 October 2013 or later.

MissMoneypenny

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

I guess in life fill no more forms than one has too, ditto with govt engagement. Try to limit it as much as possible within the limits of one's circumstances.
Big Brother continued: advertising surveillance, behaviourial targeting of ads, large datasets being sold to large companies, services that are fab being 'free' in exchange for sold data.

Like not going on the internet unless you have a tracker blocker; firewall; antivirus, spyware blocker?

You can get them all for free, but many don't know what websites hide i.e many websites use trackers; unless you use software like ghostery http://www.ghostery.com/ to block the trackers from tracking you..