Council Tax - Reminder URGENT HELP NEEDED

mogimorgan

I need some help please.

I today received my first reminder for council tax - 192 pounds. Now the background.

I live in the house with my brother, I am 20, he is 18. We moved in in October 2007 and we were both working full time. We received a letter from the council asking who was living there which we posted back straight away.

However in December we both lost our jobs and had 2 claim for JSA and Housing+Council Tax benefit. The problem has arose since the Council Tax Benefit obviously doesn't cover the Period of October and November.

At the moment we are struglling and as soon as we received the revised bill stating that we owe 192 to pay in March I rang and informed them that after bills we have around 15 each for food and cannot afford 192 quid out of no were.

Now I have a reminder and I do not know what to do! You can go to jail can't you for not paying CT? I do however have the option to apply for a credit card but that would be a very high interest rate for just paying CT.

Any advice would be appricatied.

msmicawber

Does the bill show exactly what period the £192 covers? If not, you need clarify with the Council what period it covers. Then you need to contact the Council, explain your circumstances and make a proposal to pay so much per week/month off the debt. Don't pay on a credit card - if you've only got £15 each for food, then you can't afford to pay interest. Provided you keep in touch with the Council, offer to pay the money back over a period of time and keep to the payments you'll be fine. Whatever you do, though, don't forget it's a priority debt and they can and will take you to Court over it.

Can I also recommend that you post an SOA over on the Debt free wannabee forum and get some advice on how to make the most of your limited income.

CIS

Jail is a log way off on the recovery side -after a reminder the next step is a Court Summons which allows the granting of a Liability Order. This Liability Order allows the council to use further recovery - Attachment of Earnings/Benefit or Bailiff.

If an accounts goes to a bailiff and then is returned to the Council due to the bailiff not being able to collect the debt then the council may consider committal action. If committal action proceeds then a magistrate must be satisfied that you could afford to pay and didn't rather than just not being able to afford to pay - he would most likely issue and affordable payment arrangement.

At this time of year you may be able to get the debt spread over in to the next tax year providing you don't have a large balance due for the next year. I've done it myself with a few customer lately to keep the payments affordable.

The key however is to contact the council immediately to discuss - the longer you delay the harder it gets to get an arrangement.

busydaffodil1

to add to the above, please put everything in writing & post RECORDED DELIVERY.
You might need proof that you attempted to negotiate with the council.

mogimorgan

I rang the council as soon as they sent the bill after the Council Tax benefit had been worked out, and because we hadn't received the bill for October and November this is what the 192 bill is for. I asked if we can split it over the next year etc. but all council tax for this year has to be paid by April.

I have also been into the council office at the local town hall, and basically they told me there is nothing I can do until it ends up at court, which I find very harsh. It's hardly fair that we will have to go to court because we lost our jobs?

Thanks for yor advice so far, its realy helpful. As I say though I have been trying to come to some arangement and they won't budge.

sassybooboos

used to work for council tax for my sins.

first of all stop panicking.

they send you 2 reminders then a summons, they cannot put your offer of payment on their system until you have received the summons which unfortunately usually costs you £50.
phone them or visit their offices and tell them what you can pay they can write this on your account. you will then receive second reminder, but when you receive summons phone them or visit and make sure they then put your arrangement on their system. they will say that you have to pay the summons but what you can do is pay everything off except summons amount then phone them up and plead to their better nature to remove summons cost. they can do this but depends who you get.

if you are on full benefit find out what the minimum is they will accept it used to be £2.80 week

next time you fill out a benefit form make sure you also get a receipt because your claim will only start from the date they received your claim form so if for some reason it gets lost in post or they lose it you will only get benefit from the next form you have to send thus you getting another bill for a period not covered. hope this makes sense.