Council Tax Support 500% increase in Council Tax - not so supportive

System

Mine appears to have gone from full CTB to paying 45pound a month :eek:

Slightly more than the 2 quid a week the website suggested

EDIT: ah shall wait and see if a revised bill materialises..

westerby1

My local authority decided on a charge of 25%. I live alone in a band A property full council tax is £867 a year. After the single occupancy discount (£217 approx) that leaves a balance of £650, therefore I expected to have to pay 25% of that approx £162. I receive ESA, DLA (lower amount mobility) I have no other income or savings etc. Before the change I received full council tax benefit.

When I received the bill yesterday it said the amount payable by me was £650! I rang to query this( took me 45mins to get through!) and was told that benefit entitlements had not been worked out yet and I would receive a revised bill (most likely for about £160) towards the end of March.

Other posters on here have said that their local authority has done the same. Why they can't send the correct bill in the first place I don't know, at the very least the first bill should have come with a covering letter explaining that a revised bill would be issued at a later date.

Dunroamin

KxMx wrote: »

Usually when people make suggestions to budget, they have in mind something that the poster is spending on unnecessarily, which can easily be got rid of.

People who are getting close to heat or eat on £71pw generally don't have any wiggle room.

In this posters case I fear it's as he posts, the heating will have to go or get food from a food bank so he can pay the Council Tax.

Except that, from previous threads, the poster involved seems to occupy a whole house to himself which seems to me to give plenty of room to wiggle.

xylophone

Except that, from previous threads, the poster involved seems to occupy a whole house to himself which seems to me to give plenty of room to wiggle.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/58056867#Comment_58056867

He doesn't want to sell the house. Perhaps he could consider taking a lodger under the rent-a-room scheme to help out with costs?

Dunroamin

xylophone wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/58056867#Comment_58056867

He doesn't want to sell the house. Perhaps he could consider taking a lodger under the rent-a-room scheme to help out with costs?

Exactly what I meant - he has plenty of options that don't involve a choice between heating and eating.

mark61120

Dunroamin wrote: »

Exactly what I meant - he has plenty of options that don't involve a choice between heating and eating.

And that shows how naive people are.

Firstly, you are assuming someone wants to stay in my house 100% of the year. Year in, year out, to provide a regular income.

Secondly, you assume that the income derived from letting a room would be mine to dispose of as I see fit (ie, pay council tax). People on benefits are not allowed to keep all of the income, it is cut, you only receive a portion of it.

Wow, plenty of options indeed!

skintmacflint

mark61120 wrote: »

And that shows how naive people are.

Firstly, you are assuming someone wants to stay in my house 100% of the year. Year in, year out, to provide a regular income.

!

But only if you remain on JSA year in year out surely, which isn't necessarily the position here surely ?

Agree a lodger is not everyone's preference , and if living in a rural area might not be of much help. Also single people living on basic JSA are being hit hard by some of the changes.

But single people are often better placed to take alternative and perhaps temporary measures until better placed . Posters are suggesting other options they have used when needs must.

If you have ill health reasons which will stop you finding a job year in year out , perhaps you would be better claiming ESA.?

If it's due to lack of work skill or your previous work skills are no longer in much demand , only option now seems to be retraining into work skills which are in demand.

welshmoneylover

mark61120 wrote: »

And that shows how naive people are.

Firstly, you are assuming someone wants to stay in my house 100% of the year. Year in, year out, to provide a regular income.

Secondly, you assume that the income derived from letting a room would be mine to dispose of as I see fit (ie, pay council tax). People on benefits are not allowed to keep all of the income, it is cut, you only receive a portion of it.

Wow, plenty of options indeed!

I would have thought the best option would be to find employment.

Dunroamin

mark61120 wrote: »

And that shows how naive people are.

Firstly, you are assuming someone wants to stay in my house 100% of the year. Year in, year out, to provide a regular income.

Secondly, you assume that the income derived from letting a room would be mine to dispose of as I see fit (ie, pay council tax). People on benefits are not allowed to keep all of the income, it is cut, you only receive a portion of it.

Wow, plenty of options indeed!

As has now been explained to you, you won't lose benefits if you take in a lodger - it's really worthwhile keeping up with changes like this that affect you.

In addition, you don't need someone in to share 100% of the time year in year out (although why you think you'll be unemployed that long beats me). You need to bring in enough rent to cover £29 x 12, plus the loss of the single person discount when they're living there. A lodger for just one month would bring in enough to cover that!

People are actually trying to help when they make suggestions you know.

mysterywoman10

[QUOTE
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/tenancies/lodger-rules-to-ease-impact-of-bedroom-tax/6522846.article[/QUOTE]

Hi Mark

In the link above given by Witchhazel it does also explain in a way the stance the Lords took on the bedroom tax. Lord Best tried very hard to get a lot of the regulations changed.

Lord Freud is saying you will be exempt from the tax between April and October!! But I would check this with the LA first if you decide to go that route.

One also has to bear in mind that lodgers carry with them costs,