Worried: New Council Tax Support will never pay 100% even if no income?

thewhiteavenger

pmlindyloo wrote: »

If anyone is interested here is a link for individual councils:

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/toolkit/council_tax_support

Apparently 25% is the maximum that can be charged.

I happen to be in favour of everyone contributing to the council tax but 25% is totally unreasonable.

It is 25% in Cornwall, which does have one of the harshest schemes.


I have searched for a comparison table, but can't find one. I'm sure there is one council somewhere that set its minimum working age contribution at 30% so I don't think the 25% figure is laid down anywhere. The government just said 'we're cutting your support by 10% - you sort out how to cope with it'


The result is that in somewhere like Devon, which is broken into many smaller councils, there are some harsh schemes and some that were able to keep the old scheme. There must be some points where next-door neighbours have totally different treatment because of their postcodes.

P4ula

City of York Council (God Bless em!!) charge 30%.

http://www.york.gov.uk/info/200296/council_tax_support/971/faqs

quote''
For people of working age the fundamental difference is that the LCTS scheme will only be able to cover a maximum of 70% of your liability. This means that working age people who qualify for Council Tax Support will have to pay 30% more than they do now or they would have done under CTB.''

The only exemption for people under retirement age being for War Pensioners not yet 65 who continue to receive 100% Council Tax Support. For everyone else it is 30% to pay (plus they are putting overall council tax payable up again by 1.99% in April!),

Paula

Housing_Benefit_Officer

P4ula wrote: »

City of York Council (God Bless em!!) charge 30%.

http://www.york.gov.uk/info/200296/council_tax_support/971/faqs

quote''
For people of working age the fundamental difference is that the LCTS scheme will only be able to cover a maximum of 70% of your liability. This means that working age people who qualify for Council Tax Support will have to pay 30% more than they do now or they would have done under CTB.''

The only exemption for people under retirement age being for War Pensioners not yet 65 who continue to receive 100% Council Tax Support. For everyone else it is 30% to pay (plus they are putting overall council tax payable up again by 1.99% in April!),

Paula

And this is the problem. Each Council runs there own scheme with their own rules. Pensioners and those classed as vulnerable are protected - so the more pensioners the bigger the cut for working age claimants. Some Councils won't give you any help if you live in a high banded property.

Errata

And this is the problem. Each Council runs there own scheme with their own rules.

Why wouldn't they? All councils face different financial pressures from different sectors. Controlling the purse strings is democracy in action.

Morglin

Bromley have increased their council tax by 1.99% every year since 2010, so I don't know why the government keep droning on that we have all had our council tax frozen! :wall:

The liability for those on means tested CTA is 8.5%.

Lin

frayedknot

Welcome to Poll Tax v.2.0 and the postcode lottery...I pay 30% of Council Tax if that makes you feel better, out of my JSA which the secretary of state had said that I needed to live on. Obviously I didn't need it that much!!

Blindsided_2

Does anyone know what the difference is in scotland? All links on this page were for Wales and England. My council tax for 4 months since I moved here has been extortionate, I must be paying way more than 25%, but my ct bill is so confusing it might as well be written in Latin

BigAunty

Blindsided wrote: »

Does anyone know what the difference is in scotland?

Difference to what in Scotland?

This thread is about the council tax changes to England that came through the localism act and changes the way English councils give discounts to those on benefits who may have previously been exempt but may have to pay something now. Each English council sets their own discount scheme (though there are some mandatory aspects which they can't meddle with such as the single persons discount). Council tax discounts in England vary on a council by council basis because they had their funding cut and were given discretion in making local policies to claw back this missing money.

Much of what is being discusssed doesn't apply to Scotland where people on benefits get the same CT discounts as before - the Scottish government are funding this, I believe. I don't know what happened policy wise in Wales.

You seem to be having a general moan about the level of council tax at your property in Scotland but this thread is about people on benefits or previously exempt from paying council tax that now have to do so in England.

General info here

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/17999/counciltax

Blindsided_2

BigAunty wrote: »

Difference to what in Scotland?

This thread is about the council tax changes to England that came through the localism act and changes the way English councils give discounts to those on benefits who may have previously been exempt but may have to pay something now. Each English council sets their own discount scheme (though there are some mandatory aspects which they can't meddle with such as the single persons discount). Council tax discounts in England vary on a council by council basis because they had their funding cut and were given discretion in making local policies to claw back this missing money.

Much of what is being discusssed doesn't apply to Scotland where people on benefits get the same CT discounts as before - the Scottish government are funding this, I believe. I don't know what happened policy wise in Wales.

You seem to be having a general moan about the level of council tax at your property in Scotland but this thread is about people on benefits or previously exempt from paying council tax that now have to do so in England.

General info here

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/17999/counciltax

Sorry. I would say thanks for the link but that would probably irritate you in some way too.
The title of the thread doesn't say England only. If it did I wouldn't have posted. If I knew the arrangements in scotland I wouldn't have posted asking. There is no need for your general rudeness

elmer

In Scotland there have been no changes to Council Tax Benefit yet as the Scottish Parliament picked up the 10% reduction tab and so covered the reduction for this financial year.

I have not heard if they are doing the same for the next year yet, but there are no changes to benefit planned with only a month to go, so the chances are it will continue.

BTW the name changed but that was it

elmer