Absurdly low Council Tax Support Income Threshold?

ASmallBeanToe

I've been trying to get my local council to help me with council tax reductions as I've only been able to work part time. They've gotten back to me and said as a single person earning over £75 a week I am entitled to 0 council tax support or reduction. 

In 2021 I earned about four thousand pounds and had to pay 1.2k in council tax. This seems ridiculous to me. They wont budge and wont help. I am waiting on hearing back from the citizens advice bureau and trying to find some legal assistance. 

Does anyone have any experience with this? 

Roughly, this means that anyone earning over £3.9k a year gets no council tax support and starts paying 25% of their earnings to the council. I have no idea how anyone is supposed to live on that, let alone pay council tax on top of utilities, food, any travel/vehicle costs etc. 

I have looked at other council's websites and pretty consistently see them describing a reducing amount of council tax support when you start earning over £75 a week, not cutting it off. Eg one area I looked at said a single person earning between £160 to £180 a week still gets a 45% reduction on their council tax bill. That is far, far more money than I have earned. I understand different areas have different thresholds but surely being 20 miles west doesnt mean you go from 45% to 0% support? 

I have repeatedly challenged the council on this and asked them to tell me how this is worked out and how someone is supposed to live on this/like this and the response has been a resound "get stuffed", just wrapped up in work speak. 

lisyloo

You will get more help if you say why you're only able to work part time.
If you are sick, disabled, carer, have child care etc. then there may be other benefits you're entitled to and there are people on here that can help.

HillStreetBlues

For working age people councils have their own rules, so would have to know the council.

Murphybear

Do they have separate rules for working age people and pensioners?  I am a pensioner, my state pension and 2 small works pensions gave me £280 pw.  I got just over half my council tax paid.  When I got Attendance Allowance it was all paid. 

HillStreetBlues

Murphybear said:

Do they have separate rules for working age people and pensioners?  I am a pensioner, my state pension and 2 small works pensions gave me £280 pw.  I got just over half my council tax paid.  When I got Attendance Allowance it was all paid. 

Councils set their own policy for people under state pension age,  but for those over it's a nation policy.
The rules don't have to be different but AFAIK every council does have different rules that are overall less generous to those under SPA.

Grumpy_chap

ASmallBeanToe said:

I've been trying to get my local council to help me with council tax reductions as I've only been able to work part time. They've gotten back to me and said as a single person earning over £75 a week I am entitled to 0 council tax support or reduction. 

In 2021 I earned about four thousand pounds and had to pay 1.2k in council tax. This seems ridiculous to me. They wont budge and wont help. I am waiting on hearing back from the citizens advice bureau and trying to find some legal assistance. 

Does anyone have any experience with this? 

Roughly, this means that anyone earning over £3.9k a year gets no council tax support and starts paying 25% of their earnings to the council. I have no idea how anyone is supposed to live on that, let alone pay council tax on top of utilities, food, any travel/vehicle costs etc. 

I have looked at other council's websites and pretty consistently see them describing a reducing amount of council tax support when you start earning over £75 a week, not cutting it off. Eg one area I looked at said a single person earning between £160 to £180 a week still gets a 45% reduction on their council tax bill. That is far, far more money than I have earned. I understand different areas have different thresholds but surely being 20 miles west doesnt mean you go from 45% to 0% support? 

I have repeatedly challenged the council on this and asked them to tell me how this is worked out and how someone is supposed to live on this/like this and the response has been a resound "get stuffed", just wrapped up in work speak. 

If the OP only works part time and earns around £4k, does the OP have any other sources of income?
Has the OP explored access to other benefits?
Other benefits may unlock CT discounts.

peteuk

OP has not stated who they live with, just notes single person.  If living alone then apply for a single person discount (25%) otherwise there is no other discount to be had.  I suspect there is more to it than this, as £2.8K isn’t enough to pay rent, food ect. 

Murphybear

HillStreetBlues said:

Murphybear said:

Do they have separate rules for working age people and pensioners?  I am a pensioner, my state pension and 2 small works pensions gave me £280 pw.  I got just over half my council tax paid.  When I got Attendance Allowance it was all paid. 

Councils set their own policy for people under state pension age,  but for those over it's a nation policy.
The rules don't have to be different but AFAIK every council does have different rules that are overall less generous to those under SPA.

Thanks for that, I’ve learnt something 

lisyloo

Murphybear said:

Do they have separate rules for working age people and pensioners?  I am a pensioner, my state pension and 2 small works pensions gave me £280 pw.  I got just over half my council tax paid.  When I got Attendance Allowance it was all paid. 

Those over state pension age are not expected to work.
Those under are expected to support themselves unless there's a valid reason they can't (of which there are many).

JonVarnas

Which council is it? You should be able to find the rules for council tax reduction on their website but generally speaking the thresholds are usually tied with the amount of benefit a person could get but again it depends on the area. For example, in my area the threshold is tied to the standard allowance of Universal Credit for a single person.