Ruthless Council Tax Staff - methods to get more from the poor & struggling

amayeta

After receiving a Final Demand letter I loan money and paid a bill they sent me at the beginning of the year 2008/2009 even though I could prove I was not working and receiving benefits.
I was told the councils records showed I was not getting any benefits. Despite the letter from the DWP. The stress of my sisters illness, she had breast cancer but has since past. I fought I would.pay but continue to dispute the charge.

On Thursday, whilst I was out, I returned to find a demand from Enforcement Officers for £385 for none payment of council tax. I rang and said rubbish the only money owed was for this year so the demand for 2008/09 was incorrect.

They went away and came back and said Oh yes you have paid it but you have not paid us. I demanded to know what crap they were on about. Supposedly the council did not inform them that I had paid instead they had issued for Enforcement officer to collect the money but as I had paid it I now needed to pay their due artment because the form had not been cancelled.

I was told even though I had not received the form it was down to me to prove it and take issue up with the post office. The Council staff were quite rude as were the officer from the Enforcement department they thought it quite funny that with only my carer's allowance coming in that I would simply have to put myself in further debt.

So despite trying yo find part-time work its difficult as my nephew suffers from seizures and is still undergoing investigation to get them under control.

Is there anything I can do as it ridiculous that Council staff were asked should they remove the demand and they can just say no leave it knowing I have paid.

HELP IF POSSIBLE.
Local MP said she cannot get involved.

I am being slowly driven MAD its bad enough.I,he loss so much weight because I don't always eat so my son and nephew can. I am desperate.

merlin68

Are you not claiming an income support top up?

Robbie64

Why can't your local MP not get involved?

As an alternative you could contact your local councillor who may be able to help sort something out.

poppasmurf_bewdley

amayeta wrote: »

Local MP said she cannot get involved.

.

Who is this MP who cannot get involved? An MP is there to help his or her constituents with any problems which come within their remit. And I can assure you that problems with Council Tax DO COME within their remit.

Recontact her, and if she refuses to help again, tell her you will (a) go to the local press, (b) contact her Association Chairman, and (c) contact the Political Party who came second in the constituency with a complaint about how useless the MP is.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

Your family problems, although sad, are entirely irrelevant so I'd suggest you leave them out.

If you think that you've paid everything you owed then I'd suggest you lodge a formal complain to the council. Send all evidence of payments made etc. Ask that they waive these additional charges as the debt was paid. Send recorded delivery or hand deliver and ask for a receipt.

Leave out the tragic family history and keep the letter polite and factual.

tomtom256

amayeta wrote: »

After receiving a Final Demand letter I loan money and paid a bill they sent me at the beginning of the year 2008/2009 even though I could prove I was not working and receiving benefits.
I was told the councils records showed I was not getting any benefits. Despite the letter from the DWP. The stress of my sisters illness, she had breast cancer but has since past. I fought I would.pay but continue to dispute the charge.

On Thursday, whilst I was out, I returned to find a demand from Enforcement Officers for £385 for none payment of council tax. I rang and said rubbish the only money owed was for this year so the demand for 2008/09 was incorrect.

They went away and came back and said Oh yes you have paid it but you have not paid us. I demanded to know what crap they were on about. Supposedly the council did not inform them that I had paid instead they had issued for Enforcement officer to collect the money but as I had paid it I now needed to pay their due artment because the form had not been cancelled.

I was told even though I had not received the form it was down to me to prove it and take issue up with the post office. The Council staff were quite rude as were the officer from the Enforcement department they thought it quite funny that with only my carer's allowance coming in that I would simply have to put myself in further debt.

So despite trying yo find part-time work its difficult as my nephew suffers from seizures and is still undergoing investigation to get them under control.

Is there anything I can do as it ridiculous that Council staff were asked should they remove the demand and they can just say no leave it knowing I have paid.

HELP IF POSSIBLE.
Local MP said she cannot get involved.

I am being slowly driven MAD its bad enough.I,he loss so much weight because I don't always eat so my son and nephew can. I am desperate.

Did you actually put in a claim for Council Tax Benefit?

amayeta

Thank you for all your replies. I did put in an application for Council Tax Assistance which was granted and then stopped when there was a change over for single parents on a income support, which is where I think how this problem arose.
I had no money for 4 months from the DWP & had to loan money . They did back date my claim but the Council would not.

I will write again to my MP and let everyone knows what happens. Again thank you to wall.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Your claim for Council Tax Benefit was correctly cancelled when your Income Support ceased.

Did you make a new claim for Council Tax Benefit based on your financial and household circumstances immediately after this or many months later?

How big is the break in your Council Tax Benefit claim?

Did your local Council only restart your claim from the date the DWP processed your claim or from the date you made a new Council Tax Benefit claim?

Normally where a claim stops due to Income Support ceasing but then a new Social Security Benefit is awarded and backdated the Council Tax Benefit should be awarded to cover the gap.

What benefit did you go on after your Income Support ceased?

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236948/hbgm-a2-claims.pdf

2.430 onwards should be helpful.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236974/hbgm-c6-reconsidering-revising-superseding.pdf

6410 onwards

6411 Example 1 and 6412 Example 1.

Both these examples in the Guidance Manual show where a relevant Social Security Benefit is awarded HB?CTB can be awarded for this period as well.

You need to establish date IS ceased - date DWP awarded and backdated whatever benefit you were subsequently awarded - the gap in your Council Tax Benefit. Does the gap match the period of backdated DWP benefits. Have the Local Authority made an error in awarding CTB. Can the Local Authority revise their decision and award CTB for the gap.