paying council tax with interest free card

Stevedugs1967

Hi, been hit with a large Council tax bill, emailed them when I finally got full-time work in April, but didn't chase it up and have kept pushing it to the back burner, and now they've caught up with me, and want me to pay nearly £300 a month for next 5 months, which obviously I can't afford, living on my own. (Yeh, I know I've brought this on myself). Haven't contacted them about a payment plan as I know they will charge interest and may even decide to screw up my credit rating. Was wondering if I could get an interest-free credit card and pay the whole bill and then pay off the credit card at my own pace?

eskbanker

Assuming your council accepts credit card payments for council tax, the issue comes down to whether or not you can acquire a 0% card and whether it would have a high enough limit to settle your bill.  Try https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/eligibility/credit-cards/search/?goal=CC_PURCHASE

Stevedugs1967

Yeh, the letter says Debit/credit card payments. I have a good credit rating at the moment, but would I need a 0% on purchases or balance transfers, just a bit confused as to which kind of card I would need to apply for?

[Deleted User]

You'd want a purchases card, as long as it's not treated as a cash payment.

Your good credit rating isn't a factor in lending, so make sure you check your credit files and use an eligibility checker before applying anywhere.

Neruda

Stevedugs1967 said:

Hi, been hit with a large Council tax bill, emailed them when I finally got full-time work in April, but didn't chase it up and have kept pushing it to the back burner, and now they've caught up with me, and want me to pay nearly £300 a month for next 5 months, which obviously I can't afford, living on my own. (Yeh, I know I've brought this on myself). Haven't contacted them about a payment plan as I know they will charge interest and may even decide to screw up my credit rating. Was wondering if I could get an interest-free credit card and pay the whole bill and then pay off the credit card at my own pace?

You should certainly contact your Council first: if you go on to a payment plan there would not be any interest charged and depending on the terms they might not report to a credit reference agency: that is something to discuss with them.

Personally I usually pay my Council tax using a card that offers 0 per cent on purchases.

Malkytheheed

You shouldnt borrow from Peter to pay Paul. If you can't afford the council tax payments, you can't afford the credit card. 

You need to call the council and talk to them