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LCWRA and Council Tax Support

Can anyone advise whether my recent LCWRA award reduces my council tax support?
I got a statement today saying I owe them money, so I'm assuming it must, but it doesn't seem very fair as I'm getting the LCWRA because I can't work many hours.
It's Northumberland if that makes any difference

Comments

  • HillStreetBlues
    HillStreetBlues Posts: 4,990 Forumite
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    Councils get to set their own rules if LCWRA is counted as income. You would need to find out what your councils rules are. Many don't publish them on-line.
    Let's Be Careful Out There
  • marcia_
    marcia_ Posts: 2,942 Forumite
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    dp1 said:
    Can anyone advise whether my recent LCWRA award reduces my council tax support?
    I got a statement today saying I owe them money, so I'm assuming it must, but it doesn't seem very fair as I'm getting the LCWRA because I can't work many hours.
    It's Northumberland if that makes any difference
     In my area you would not get more council tax support. You would actually need to pay more, not a huge amount, because you have more income. 
  • gbhxu
    gbhxu Posts: 412 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    In my area, despite being in the Support Group on IR ESA, and living on my own, I've paid nearly £270 this year Council Tax
  • Muttleythefrog
    Muttleythefrog Posts: 20,119 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Yeah this will come down to the council rules... it's possible... I presume they will send you a Council Tax Support award letter showing their workings in due course.. if not ask for such perhaps
    "Do not attribute to conspiracy what can adequately be explained by incompetence" - rogerblack
  • dp1
    dp1 Posts: 1,932 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Thanks for your replies...helpful as always
    I rang the council today and they came back to me saying it seems that my council tax support has reduced because I have a higher income. Advised me to check when I get my new bill in April.
  • TimeLord1
    TimeLord1 Posts: 483 Forumite
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    Do you have any Service charges on your rent 
  • dp1
    dp1 Posts: 1,932 Forumite
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    Timel0rd yes I do have service charges
  • TimeLord1
    TimeLord1 Posts: 483 Forumite
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    edited 5 February at 11:06AM
    dp1 said:
    Timel0rd yes I do have service charges
    First pay whatever they're asking for to stop any added charges they will always repay it back if its an error there end.  But until you work out what it or a change in policy I would contact them to get a better idea but I think it could be the service charge they're not paying.
  • Same thing has happened to me. I got an amended bill for the last few months of this financial year, and I had to pay up. I was going to ring them and ask why the new support was missing, but then I read the pages of rules and subclauses.

    The permitted work I was doing now counts as income, and with the UC LCWRA I'm about £8 per week over the limit. On ESA the permitted work was disregarded, and I got a 70% reduction on the bill. Now I have to pay all of the eligible amount, £1300 for a band B property :(

    What I don't understand is, Wakefield MDC has a £75 reduction for disability, but it's the same for both LCW and LCWRA. I assume it's to remove the disability costs, but why is LCWRA treated the same as LCW? The extra money for support group means more of the sickest are made to pay.
  • kkkklinky
    kkkklinky Posts: 155 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    My council tax has always been high even on ESA(moved to UC) carers allowance and PIP. I am paying about £550 a year and that includes the reduction which I believe is 70% where I live. Funnily enough rent is cheap but CT is high. Yet my cousin just gets UC LCWRA and pays zero CT because she lives in another council area that has a generous reduction but her rent is astronomically expensive.
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