Council tax benefits (eg Single occupancy allowance etc)

djones9960

Hi

I'm a JSA claimant who lives in Wolverhampton and recently got a letter from the council. It was all about the changes they say they are having to introduce due to the cuts from the condem(n) Government.

When I was working I got a 25% single occupancy discount, but this letter is saying that they are setting a maximum amount of support of 88% on council tax irrespective of *any* other council tax benefits which are due.

This means that I will have to pay the same council tax as 2 people living together on benefits. Or 5 people, for that matter.

Even my sister (who was assessed recently by ATOS and actually got put into the support group which means even they don't think she can work, believe it or not) will have to pay the same.

I understood that stuff like single occupancy benefit and the like were statutory; is this even legal?

Dan

shjo558

Hi,

The 25% is for anyone who lives on their own, it's not really classed as a benefit.

The amount of Council Tax reduction you are entitled to will be based of you paying 75% of the bill.

If you have a look at the bill, the discount will be shone separately to the amount of CTR.

(Hope that makes sense, it's getting late and I'm tired!)

djones9960

Hi

As far as I know you're right, if you're saying what I think you said (the 25% discount is deducted first then council tax benefit is deducted from the 75% total) then that's the way it's supposed to work. But this letter had the following comparison at the bottom of it: (I'm quoting verbatim)

Example 1

Mr and Mrs B live in a band A property. They are both unemployed and receive Job Seekers' Allowance.

2014/2015* £ per year
Band A charge 981.31
Max amount of support 88% 863.55
Amount payable by Mr & Mrs B 117.76

Example 2

Mr C lives in a band A property and receives a Single Person Discount. He also claims Job Seekers' Allowance.

2014/2015 £ per year
Band A charge 981.31
Max amount of support 88% 863.55
Single Person Discount 245.33
Max amount of support (863.55, take away 245.33) 618.22
Minimum amount payable by Mr C 117.76

I think that's pretty clear.

If this does work any differently then fair enough, but either way it hardly seems fair to pick on single non-working people specifically which seems to be what has happened. (They are picking on all benefit claimants, single or not, but they are specifically completely denying single people a discount I thought was laid down in law)

What they have done is said that anyone, no matter what their circumstances, will have to pay 12% of the total bill for their band of property.

I ask again, is this even legal?

shjo558 wrote: »

Hi,

The 25% is for anyone who lives on their own, it's not really classed as a benefit.

The amount of Council Tax reduction you are entitled to will be based of you paying 75% of the bill.

If you have a look at the bill, the discount will be shone separately to the amount of CTR.

(Hope that makes sense, it's getting late and I'm tired!)

bll78

djones9960 wrote: »

Hi


When I was working I got a 25% single occupancy discount, but this letter is saying that they are setting a maximum amount of support of 88% on council tax irrespective of *any* other council tax benefits which are due.

Dan

I'm confused you're saying that you get a 25% discount and the maximum support you can get is 88% meaning everyone has to pay at least 22%, surely it doesn't effect you at all. Either you've written things on here wrongly or you've misunderstood 88% support to mean you have to pay 88%

Caz3121

I think the issue is
A working couple would pay 100% and a single working person would pay 75%
A couple on benefits would pay 12% (of the 100%) and a single person on benefits would pay 12% (of the 100% - and not of the 75%)


so there is no reflection of the single person reduction in the example given