Council tax confusion. (Bailiffs)

Mcrboy39 · 18 February 2019 at 12:57PM

So here goes, I have 3 council tax accounts each with money owed. Before my current address I lived at my flat alone, that’s one account. Then my mrs moved in, the second, and now the house which makes the third.
Again, money owed on all of those I admit, some my fault some not. But the thing is they expect money for each account each month I guess because they’ve sent bailiffs on our case. We’ve been paying the house’ council tax at £30 a month because that’s all we can afford. We have 2 tots running around and money is stupidly tight. The bailiff company is rossendales, woke up to my mrs ALMOST agreeing to pay THEM and their frees but managed to get her to hang up.

Am I right in thinking to ignore them? And it will just float to and fro council as we work through it? Our door is a latch door so can only be open by key outside so no fears there! Also told mrs to not sign anything or let them in.

Also, mrs didn’t turn 18 until last year, I’m 22 this year, not sure if that’s a needed detail or not.

Thanks for any help you can give, fed up here, we just can’t affoed to pay £90-100 or whatever every month. We struggle with £30!

WhenIam64 · 18 February 2019 at 1:27PM

Am I right in thinking to ignore them?

No but you might be able to get the Council to recall the debt if you do an Income and Expenditure calculation for them.

You don't say if you are employed or on benefits. The council have the option of Attachment of Earnings/Benefits but they'd only go that route if you engage with them.

Councils have some severe powers which include prison if you are found to be wilfully not paying. Engaging and showing you are unable to pay is the way to avoid that.

John_G_Jones · 18 February 2019 at 1:31PM

Think about your children and get this sorted, igniting it is never the right choice.

Do you both work? If not you need to look into doing so, there are enough hours in the week that a second person can always fit something in in evenings or weekends when the main earner can look after the children.

Mcrboy39 · 18 February 2019 at 1:40PM

We’ve been paying £30 off a week on our current account, our tax is 112 odd a month. We only get £1000 and my partner works and gets about 80 a week. Our rent is 360 so council tax and other bills brings it to around 560 a month the rest goes in nappies and food obviously and even now at 30 a week we are left without money weeks before ‘payday’

So should I wait for it to go back to council tax and then have a obsessively long conversation with their hold line to try and sort it?

Our bill that has the bailiffs is 549 in total, just feels like we’ll never get out whatever we try to do.

WhenIam64 · 18 February 2019 at 1:46PM

Forgot to add that if you engage with the Council you may find that you could owe a lot less than they are asking for - or nothing at all. Some councils have a 100% council tax discount for those on low incomes / benefits. Others 80% etc.

If you haven't been in contact they will assume your are loaded and will want their full whack. So best to give them the details and let them work out the real amount you (and your partner) owe.

Potbellypig · 18 February 2019 at 1:50PM

Mcrboy39 wrote: »

We’ve been paying £30 off a week on our current account, our tax is 112 odd a month. We only get £1000 and my partner works and gets about 80 a week. Our rent is 360 so council tax and other bills brings it to around 560 a month the rest goes in nappies and food obviously and even now at 30 a week we are left without money weeks before ‘payday’

So should I wait for it to go back to council tax and then have a obsessively long conversation with their hold line to try and sort it?

Our bill that has the bailiffs is 549 in total, just feels like we’ll never get out whatever we try to do.

Both of you are still so young and you have 2 young kids. Of course you've got no money. That's generally how it works at this stage of your life.

As for the debt, it's not going to go away. The best thing to do is make an arrangement to pay (hopefully with the council). Even if it's over many more years than you would hope originally, it's not a debt you can let go, and in a few years time, you may find yourself in a better position and can pay more off.

sourcrates · 18 February 2019 at 1:52PM

Hi,

You need to speak to your council as a matter of urgency, from memory, i believe they can only obtain one liability order, per account, at a time, not allowing the bailiffs access, will result in the account been passed back to said council, but the enforcment fee`s will be added to the debt.

This is, as you must be aware, a priority debt, so if you are paying loans or credit cards, or any other unsecured credit, you need to funnel that money and consentrate on this CT bill first and foremost.

Defaulting on unsecured credit debts can have consequenses, but the consequenses for unpaid council tax can be far worse.

CIS · 18 February 2019 at 1:59PM

Also, mrs didn’t turn 18 until last year, I’m 22 this year, not sure if that’s a needed detail or not

For any period where she was living in the property and under 18 then she cannot be regarded as resident so she is a) not jointly liable and b) not counted for council tax purposes.

You need to speak to your council as a matter of urgency, from memory, i believe they can only obtain one liability order, per account, at a time, not allowing the bailiffs access, will result in the account been passed back to said council, but the enforcment fee`s will be added to the debt.

One liability order per liable person for any specific period of liability - one council tax account may have multiple periods of liability.

fatbelly · 18 February 2019 at 8:27PM

You do need to check what helpyou could be getting, even if the eventual answer is 'none'.

There is a chance of some Universal Credit and also some council tax support (one benefit strangely not merged into UC). Try this:

https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

If you get your council's council tax support, check if they also have a hardship fund.

When you get your new bill, go for the 12-month option - it'll be in the small print somewhere.

If they suggest an attachment to your earnings that is not a bad option. £80 per week attracts a deduction of 3% (so £2.40 per week) and £1000 per month is 12% so £120 per month. The good point wth that is that if you have a bad week/month of earnings the deduction goes down too. While they are in place the council will become less aggressive as they know payment will be coming in.

Council tax confusion. (Bailiffs)

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