£150 Council Tax discount not in Scotland

Be_Happy

If you live in Scotland, don't factor the £150 discount from your Council Tax into your financial planning.   It sounds as if we're not going to get it as such.

Scotland is being given £290 million as its share to distribute as it wants.   The Scottish Government announced last week that it was going to distribute £120 million amongst Councils to help them keep Council Tax increases as low as possible.   Yesterday it said that this £120 million would be taken from the £290 million coming from Westminster.

Councils will still raise Council Tax but will claim it would have been higher without the money given.   If the percentage reduction in the Tax increase is equal in all Bands, then those who pay the highest band rate will benefit most.  Councils may, of course, adjust bands so that A - D have lower percentage increases than other bands.

The Scottish Government has said that it will use the remaining £170 million to help those in most need.  Sounds like it will be means-tested and will be used to increase benefits so that they can continue to point out they give higher benefit rates and some extra benefits than those being given elsewhere in the UK.

A worthy aim helping those in most need, but just a warning not to assume you're going to get £150 discount.

wrf12345

The joys of living in a socialist paradise...

GunJack

Wales too...

Swipe

or band E and below in England

peter_the_piper

You can bet that Mrs S  will find a way of paying £200 because she always tries to beat Boris.

Fred2712

You get lots of other stuff free so swings & roundabouts 

aud888

Typical Dundee council.  Not giving the £150 as a help in one lump sum no they have decided to give it monthly as a reduction. So it’s going to be 10 months before you get the full £150.  Obviously the interest off the money they are given in advance will stay on their bank account.

molerat

aud888 said:

Typical Dundee council.  Not giving the £150 as a help in one lump sum no they have decided to give it monthly as a reduction. So it’s going to be 10 months before you get the full £150.  Obviously the interest off the money they are given in advance will stay on their bank account.

If you pay your council tax up front in one go you will get the £150 straight away.

Ultrasonic

Swipe said:

or band E and below in England

Band E and above.

Astria

aud888 said:

Typical Dundee council.  Not giving the £150 as a help in one lump sum no they have decided to give it monthly as a reduction. So it’s going to be 10 months before you get the full £150.  Obviously the interest off the money they are given in advance will stay on their bank account.

On our local council website it says the £150 'rebate' is split according to your payment schedule, so if you pay in full you get the 'rebate' in full, if you split payment into 10 or 12 months then the rebate is split over 10 or 12 months, which sounds fair enough.

Be_Happy

Had new Council Tax bill in today and £150 is deducted at start from annual bill.   The 10 monthly payments are then calculated in the usual way..