Paying Council Tax in Twelve Monthly Instalments

poppycracker

Scuse me, people who request payments over 12 months instead of 10 aren't usually 'trying it on'!

littleowl

poppycracker wrote: »

Scuse me, people who request payments over 12 months instead of 10 aren't usually 'trying it on'!

I'm sorry but that is a ridiculous comment. Why on earth should people asking to pay over 12 months be 'trying it on'? My Council will arrange either 10 months or twelve months payments.

In my opinion it is easier for an individual to budget with 12 equal monthly payments - and, for heaven's sake, why not?

littleowl

OOps - sorry poppycracker, I misread your comment. My remarks are thus leveled at the person who made the ridiculous comment alluded to!

hodgester

little owl, i apologise if you object to my turn of phrase. a bill is a bill, and when people ask to pay it over a longer period of time, even though they are set charges a la water rates, it often creates problems at a later date

i think my first posts confirmed why some authorities are loathe to give people longer to pay, it increases the odds on the charges being higher the next year, and encourages people to treat it as a less important charge than other bills, ie, "aah the council are more flexible than (insert other creditor) i'll defer my council tax that rather not pay (other creditor) on time".

it happens, i'm sorry, it does. all the time. the gas, electric are more important in some people's heads and the next thing they know they are at court or they have bailiffs at the door. then they phone us and say "oh but we thought we could pay whenever..."

it's not fair on them, the other council tax payers, or us who deal with them, if we don't try and keep everybody to the plans that they get in March. If they can't afford it then it is our duty to direct them to the benefits they may be entitled to.

poppycracker

hodgester wrote: »

little owl, i apologise if you object to my turn of phrase. a bill is a bill, and when people ask to pay it over a longer period of time, even though they are set charges a la water rates, it often creates problems at a later date

i think my first posts confirmed why some authorities are loathe to give people longer to pay, it increases the odds on the charges being higher the next year, and encourages people to treat it as a less important charge than other bills, ie, "aah the council are more flexible than (insert other creditor) i'll defer my council tax that rather not pay (other creditor) on time".

it happens, i'm sorry, it does. all the time. the gas, electric are more important in some people's heads and the next thing they know they are at court or they have bailiffs at the door. then they phone us and say "oh but we thought we could pay whenever..."

it's not fair on them, the other council tax payers, or us who deal with them, if we don't try and keep everybody to the plans that they get in March. If they can't afford it then it is our duty to direct them to the benefits they may be entitled to.

I objected to your turn of phrase as well!

Do you know, we earned less than £12,000 between us last year, and our Council TURNED US DOWN for Council Tax Benefit???

I have no objection to paying Council Tax (well, I do, but I wouldn't not pay it), I always pay my installments on time and I just want a little lee-way on the Council's part.

margaretclare

Well, I didn't realise that paying over 12 months was a concession, 'giving people longer to pay'. We've been paying over 12 months for some years now, in fact I don't remember doing anything else and I've lived here since 1990.

Our most recent council tax bill arrived a few days ago. On the back it says: 'How to pay. Direct debit......by choosing direct debit you can pay by 1, 2, 10 or 12 instalments and you can choose whether the payments are taken on the 1st, 10th or 20th of each month.

Then there's debit or credit card, standing order, cheque.

Actually, since reading this, they've become more flexible as to the dates in the month. I didn't realise it could be paid the 1st of the month, previous years they've stated either 10th or 20th of the month. I think I'll contact them and change it to the 1st - that's when most of our other bills get paid, all by direct debit, so more convenient to us. And no, we don't regard some bills as more important than others. They all come under the heading of 'normal household expenses' and they all get paid out of a joint account we keep for the purpose. DH and I transfer £120 each from our own accounts to that one, the last few days of every month, so it's all there for the 1st. Easiest way to do it.

HTH

M

deanos

I wrote to our council in January (NKDC) and asked if we could spread payment over 12 months as the wife is not working anymore and they have done it no bother also changed payment date from 1st to 15th of the month , they have however put the council tax up 11% but thats another matter :mad:

QuickKeith

is there a discount if you pay all council tax upfront in 1 single payment saving them debit charges, interest and admin?

hodgester

Quick Keith, there is provision within the legislation for the Authority to offer a reduction if paid in one payment. Ask your local authority if they use it. If they don't then ask your local councillor why he/she has not voted for it.

littleowl

hodgester wrote: »

little owl, i apologise if you object to my turn of phrase. a bill is a bill, and when people ask to pay it over a longer period of time, even though they are set charges a la water rates, it often creates problems at a later date

i think my first posts confirmed why some authorities are loathe to give people longer to pay, it increases the odds on the charges being higher the next year, and encourages people to treat it as a less important charge than other bills, ie, "aah the council are more flexible than (insert other creditor) i'll defer my council tax that rather not pay (other creditor) on time".

it happens, i'm sorry, it does. all the time. the gas, electric are more important in some people's heads and the next thing they know they are at court or they have bailiffs at the door. then they phone us and say "oh but we thought we could pay whenever..."


it's not fair on them, the other council tax payers, or us who deal with them, if we don't try and keep everybody to the plans that they get in March. If they can't afford it then it is our duty to direct them to the benefits they may be entitled to.

I really do not see the problem. Councils offer payment over 10 or 12 months. How you can extrapolate from that that people might regard paying the Council Tax as less important than other bills I fail to understand. To proceed from there to 'bailiffs at the door' etc is a staggering leap of gigantic proportions and totally unfounded.
For heavens sake Council Tax is a bill like any other and most people I am sure treat it in the same way as other regular commitments.