Council Tax reduction

Fluffs123

I just need to vent about the 'stealth tax' changes to Council Tax benefits last April. All the headlines are about the spare room issue, no headlines about the huge reduction in CT Benefit for the low paid

I started a part time job which gets me about £15 a week more than I would get on JSA, and grateful for it. But I then got a revised CT bill for an extra £70 a month for 4 months! :eek: (I only have a modest 1 bed flat, Band

What's the point? :huh:

portly1

Fluffs123 wrote: »

I just need to vent about the 'stealth tax' changes to Council Tax benefits last April. All the headlines are about the spare room issue, no headlines about the huge reduction in CT Benefit for the low paid

I started a part time job which gets me about £15 a week more than I would get on JSA, and grateful for it. But I then got a revised CT bill for an extra £70 a month for 4 months! :eek: (I only have a modest 1 bed flat, Band

What's the point? :huh:

Starting to pay your own way in life?

jacques_chirac

I agree with the changes to council tax, albeit not the inconsistent way they have been applied - someone in your position but living in the next authority may be paying pennies. Sadly nothing will change because you are not in the group that shouts loudest - that group being the social housing tenants that want to stay in 'their' three bed houses even though their children left home years ago

Fluffs123

portly1 wrote: »

Starting to pay your own way in life?

You probably think you are bulletproof and invincible. I used to be like that.

Maybe fate will teach you humility, but I don't wish bad fortune onto anyone, no matter how haughty or arrogant they may be.

nannytone_2

jacques_chirac wrote: »

I agree with the changes to council tax, albeit not the inconsistent way they have been applied - someone in your position but living in the next authority may be paying pennies. Sadly nothing will change because you are not in the group that shouts loudest - that group being the social housing tenants that want to stay in 'their' three bed houses even though their children left home years ago

i think you'll find the loudest shouters are the pensioners .... and that is why they arent being touched, regardless of how much money they have

jacques_chirac

Fluffs123 wrote: »

You probably think you are bulletproof and invincible. I used to be like that.

Maybe fate will teach you humility, but I don't wish bad fortune onto anyone, no matter how haughty or arrogant they may be.

Don't worry about portly, he's a big old troll

Fluffs123

I was trying to make some useful points with my post, before getting provoked by the troll.

1) I will now be worse off in work for the next 4 months.
2) All the noise about the bedroom tax has obscured this effect on the low paid.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

All the changes have done is plunge more people into poverty. Nearly everyone impacted by the bedroom tax has also been hit by the localisation of Council Tax Support. Some people have lost a third of their monthly income. The change is nonsensical and some of the local rules are equally non nonsensical. There is one local authority in Essex consulting on a residence test - i.e. you have had to live in the borough for 5 years before being able to claim help towards your council tax. Some local authorities exclude anyone in a band E property or above from help.

About a fifth of Councils still give 100% support - the majority don't.

Like the Bedroom Tax all pensioners are exempt and so are 'vulnerable' groups - with no rules on what is a 'vulnerable' group.

Fluffs123

nannytone wrote: »

i think you'll find the loudest shouters are the pensioners .... and that is why they arent being touched, regardless of how much money they have

Don't get me started on the lack of means testing of pensions!!!

portly1

jacques_chirac wrote: »

I agree with the changes to council tax, albeit not the inconsistent way they have been applied - someone in your position but living in the next authority may be paying pennies. Sadly nothing will change because you are not in the group that shouts loudest - that group being the social housing tenants that want to stay in 'their' three bed houses even though their children left home years ago

What surprises me is that we didn't hear of that many tenants who rent privately when they suffered a reduction of the HB due to (a) number of bedrooms needed and (b) renting a property in a too expensive area.

But when it comes to HA & council tenants, they don't think that they should be treated the same as private tenants. Why?

portly1

Fluffs123 wrote: »

I was trying to make some useful points with my post, before getting provoked by the troll.

1) I will now be worse off in work for the next 4 months.
2) All the noise about the bedroom tax has obscured this effect on the low paid.

Yes you may well be worse off, but think how lucky you are to be able to earn some income when others have no choice at all.

And it will give you independence and self esteem if you are working. Many on here can only dream of that.

Money isn't everything in life. Being poor and happy is far better than being rich and miserable.