Council tax - will they get me?

barnaby-bear

crispsandwich wrote: »

Sorry for the dramatic title. Bit of a storm in a teacup really.

My housemate (who, incidentally, refuses to pay her share of the bills) has told my g/f that she intends to tell the council that I've been working from Jan - April and that I should have been paying council tax (I am a student again in May). She says we got a letter asking to delcare who lives in the house and what they do.

Anyhow, assuming she does tell them I was working for 4 months, will they ask me for 4 months worth of council tax? There is another person who is no longer a student and she's said she's going to inform the council of them as well.

I suppose I could just ignore any letter that come my way from the council, but is it likely to happen?

It's not a person who's liable for council tax but a HOUSEHOLD - if she tells the council you are working everyone student included becomes liable - i.e. she's as liable for not living with a student as you for not being one.... daft bint

Smashing

Will they get me?

Hopefully.

poppy10_2

barnaby-bear wrote: »

It's not a person who's liable for council tax but a HOUSEHOLD - if she tells the council you are working everyone student included becomes liable - i.e. she's as liable for not living with a student as you for not being one.... daft bint

I really don't think this is true.

nethesi

Re council tax. Yes you do need to pay of course you do! However if you genuinely can't afford it there is (means tested) council tax benefit. You can't have savings over £16,000 or earnings over £16,000 per annum. So it depends on what you mean by 'you can't afford it'!
There are a couple of complications in your case which is firstly that you're only earning for part of the year so whether they'll look at your annualised wage or just what you've actually earned this year and whether the fact that you will be claiming retrospectively will help. It is possible to backdate but only for a 'good' reason.

I personally think the best bet is to ring up and come clean and ask about council tax benefit at the same time.

This link might help
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018923

On a side point, could you not ask this house mate to have some of the bills in her name? That's what I did when I was sharing a house - we each had something our names and then paid each other back. Kept us all involved and meant that we all were careful to pay each other back promptly!

tbs624

crispsandwich wrote: »

I've only been a non-student for 4 months. Do students who have 16 weeks off in the summer and get a f/t job to earn some cash suddenly become liable for council tax? I doubt it.

I knew I was going to return in May - I've been in regular contact with the University. So in my eyes I'm still a student. As far as the Uni and the NHS Grants Unit are concerned, I'm taking a 4 month break.

AFAIAA if you are taking a break from your studies but have remained enrolled at the University, ie you intend to return to the same course, then you should still be classed as a student for the period of the break , under what is called "a period of intercalation" . You would need to show evidence from the University. Seek advice from the NUS as soon as you can.

If, however, you finish one course, say, in the summer and then start another in the September you would have a liability for Council Tax across the summer period.You need to deal with the matter either way - these things become a bigger problem than they need to be otherwise.

Good luck with getting it sorted out.

sassybooboos

if you are all joint tenants in the property the council will go after whoever they can find.

barnaby-bear

poppy10 wrote: »

I really don't think this is true.

Ooohh you're right:T - I was wrong they've changed the law in 2004 (show's I'm old)
http://www.waveney.gov.uk/Council+Tax/Reductions/ctax_reductions_for_students.htm

tbs624

sassybooboos wrote: »

if you are all joint tenants in the property the council will go after whoever they can find.

........but if the OP is still registered with his University and is classed as intercalating he cannot be made to pay for anyone else who is not a student.:) The Council may try but he would not be obliged to pay anything provided that the correct certification was in place.

lismarie

I used to work in CT years ago, for my sins!!!

I would have to check the legislation about your student status BUT...

You are all jointly and severally liable for Council Tax. If she has been paying it these last few months then it is up to her to claim your share from you if she feels you are liable for it. If it is all paid up to date then the Council won't be chasing anyone for anything.

If she has been recieving a 25% discount because you are a student and has now told them you're not then this discount will be removed and the arrears will be charged. Ethically, you should pay this but if you don't then the Council will chase her just as much as you for the money.

The Council will not look at you as separate people and will not single you out and ask for payment. As i say, you are both jointly and severally liable.

chappers

poppy10 wrote: »

I really don't think this is true.

That is correct as a student you will not be able to be held liable for council tax but if there are countable people in the property then council tax will be due.
In my opinion you would have a moral obligation to your housemates to pay your share just like the other bills, student or not would it be fair to not pay it just because you couldn't get taken to court for it.