Council Tax..can they do this?

ferry

Hi
Not sure if this is the right home for this but can anyone please tell us if the facility to pay the Council Tax in instalments(monthly) can be taken away from us..?

Basically we pay monthly and sometimes we pay 2 or 3 weeks late(for various reasons) prompting an arrears demand.The last one stated we will lose the facility to pay in instalments as we have paid late in the past.

Are they able to do this..?

Thanks
Terry

CIS

If you fail to keep up with payments then the right to make instalments can be withdrawn once a third reminder (final notice) has been issued.

ferry

Ok thanks.I thought that may be the case.

Out of interest what would be the scenario if you got paid say 15th or 21st in the month instead of 1st like most people.

Is it worth trying to explain this to the non-understanding robots who work there or is it pretty much up to us to have a contingency plan?

Cheers

CIS

The best bet is to speak with the council and ask them if they'll let you change you instalment plan to later in the month (often only by DD).

I usualy give people cash payment plans for the 28th of the month as it better to do that and get the money than not to get it.

The reason that they seem unmoving on the instalments is that senior managers normaly set a recovery profile that must be followed by staff and they're not generaly allowedto vary it.

moonrakerz

Of course it doesn't occur to the idiots running the finance depts in our local authorities that if someone is struggling to pay £100 a month then they are hardly likely to be able to pay off £1000 in one go !

My local council has just changed the due date from the 15th to the 1st of each month - no option !

ferry

Thanks for the info CIS.

Regards
T.

CIS

If you cant pay in one go then most councils will allow a special payment arrangement to spread payments although not clearing the debt in full by the court date will accrue costs as the liability order will still be applied for.

yummymummy79

You could always pay the first month's in the month before rather than after. So if first payment in April, then pay it at the end of March to be ahead rather than behind. You will still get your 2 'free' months at the end, will just be Jan and Feb rather than Feb and Mar.

moneymare

Our authority changed the payment date from the 15th to the 1st a couple of years ago.

It was the decision of the Councillors, who voted the decision in at a Council Board meeting - the local authority then have to administer that decision!

In our case, direct debit payers get 4 payment dates, 1st, 8th, 15th or 22nd, however those who choose to pay by any other method only have the 1st of the months as a payment option - obviously, this gets the Council money in earlier in the month, meaning more interest from the bank.

As an employee, its not something I entirely support, as pensioners who only receive their money around the 18th of the month and are 'frightened' of using the direct debit facility often fall foul of the system.

Yummymummy has the right answer - start payments in March, if the 1st of the month is a problem - it could save costs in the long run.

moneymare

moonrakerz wrote: »

Of course it doesn't occur to the idiots running the finance depts in our local authorities that if someone is struggling to pay £100 a month then they are hardly likely to be able to pay off £1000 in one go !

My local council has just changed the due date from the 15th to the 1st of each month - no option !

Nothing to do with 'idiots running the finance depts' - its Council Tax Legislation.

hilstep2000

Our Council changed ours too, from the 15th to the 1st. I'm okay, I get paid on the last day of the month, but my daughter gets paid on the 22nd, so has to make sure next month's money stays in the bank!