intrusive questions on council tax form

Mara69

storytime wrote: »

What? That I have compassion for someone who is disabled ( paid tax & NI ) and is entitled to council tax benefit, as opposed to someone coming into this country for the benefits even though they have never paid tax & NI, and probably never will.

No, that you are ignorant.

chris1973

In reality and with respect I don't think it matters one little bit what people on this forum think. You could get 1000 people all telling you it was wrong of them to ask, but do you really think in doing so, it will remove the question from the form?.

dori2o

Mara69 wrote: »

No, that you are ignorant.

Pot, kettle, black?

fluffymovie

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.

Unfortunately, this is simply incorrect advice.

From 1 April 2013, each council will have it's own scheme and it will be able to determine what income it chooses to disregard or not. For example, I know of a council which will be using child maintenance in full as income for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme but for HB, it is still disregarded under the national HB scheme and 2006 regs.

It may or may not be true that someone's council is using DLA as an income and I know of some councils which are.

DLA has always been disregarded in the assessment of Housing and Council Tax Benefit by virtue of the HB and CTB Regs 1997 and subsequently 2006 and not by virtue of it being non taxable. It has also been used in determining claims for Discretionary Housing Payments over many years in the last 3 council's I worked for.

daveya123

chubb17 wrote: »

I have been employed and paid tax and council tax since leaving school......until I was severely injured in a RTA (not my fault).......
would you still like to swap????????????????

I dont think thats what he/she meant. It may not have been your fault, but its not the rest of the tax payers fault either. So if you want benefits then you have to answer the questions. Im not saying you shouldnt receive benefits as if you are severely disabled then im sure anyone would be happy that their tax money goes to people like yourself so that you can carry on living and providing for your family etc.

What Im saying is that, im glad that they ask questions such as this. I would be extremely annoyed if all you had to fill in was a name and address and a picture of a wheelchair and they sent you a cheque every month.

If you have nothing to hide and not spending your money on drugs or illegal activities then it shouldnt really bother you. I understand the privacy thing, but its better that the council pay people who really need it rather than good for nothing drug addicts.

dont mean to be rude or anything, please dont take it the wrong way.

Sorry to hear about your RTA.

pickledonionspaceraider

Gentile wrote: »

When someone wants free money from the government they should be prepared to answer questions. Its only fair. They need to do some legwork to get their hands on some free dosh.

Oh I do agree that in all circumstances answers should be provided, or the Government aren't going to be able to distinguish who actually deserves benefits - it isn't that, that I object to

pickledonionspaceraider

storytime wrote: »

what? That i have compassion for someone who is disabled ( paid tax & ni ) and is entitled to council tax benefit, as opposed to someone coming into this country for the benefits even though they have never paid tax & ni, and probably never will.

Quite right.

I don't think the person who your comment was aimed at has the mental capacity to understand.

If anyone DARES to mention the benefits that we pay out to people who are granted immigration status, or woe betide us, if we mention the fact that 40,000 children who do not even live in the UK are getting child benefit paid straight from our taxes (Based on £20 per child this is £41,600,000 per year) or the fact that these immigrants arrive homeless so straight to the top of housing registers etc.. but no, don't mention any of that, because you might get called a racist or worse.. and why oh why would they then take a minimum wage so they would actually be worse off than claiming benefits..They do know how to play the system. Of course they do - and anyone who thinks otherwise is plain and simple kidding themselves with this bleeding heart liberal stuff . This is why immigrants come here and never leave.

People are quick to judge their own kind, but its a case of simple mathematics. Our economy simply cannot support such a growing population whether it was an influx of any race/creed. It is maths. Sheer maths. By the time it is realised, our ecomomy will be beyond f00ked

There is nothing Great about Breat Britian anymore, we cannot hold our heads up and be proud any more . Our forefathers fought wars, and then our generation do this!!

missapril75

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

the fact that these immigrants arrive homeless so straight to the top of housing registers etc.. but no, don't mention any of that, because you might get called a racist or worse..

No, just wrong. :rotfl:

What's that etc? Higher rates of benefits? An extra allowance if you like curry? Double if it's goat curry?

and why oh why would they then take a minimum wage

Just a minute....I thought they were taking "our" jobs. Which is it, they take our jobs or they don't?

PoorCharleyBear

missapril75 wrote: »

You make it sound like "I fancy a bit of extra cash..." rather than being entitled to something because certain conditions are satisfied.

So how can a government agency decide if someone is entitled, if they do not provide the required information?
Surely by supplying the information, it helps them to make an informed decision?

SnooksNJ

storytime wrote: »

People from overseas come into the country and know everything to claim for.

True, I was able to figure out what taxpayer handouts were available to me from the "no recourse to public funds" stamped on my visa.