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sounds fair to me. not a huge percentage. I would rather tham put it up for those who have to pay the full amount

it's not fair when a single person will have to pay a fair wack out of their benefit

example single male

ct contribution

hb top up and rates are slashed again in april

only recieves £71 a week how would that person survive

disclaimer,this is not me im talking about,but i dont think it's fair

Only 56% of 17-24 year olds are registered to vote. They think they can scrap benefits for under 25s without fear of voting comeback.

Only around 15% of over 45s don't vote. So OAPs are likely to punish you in elections. Stats

aufaniae "Some councils are doing away with the exemption for council tax for students. "

Does this mean that students, who were previously exempt from paying council tax will now have to pay?
What will happen to the students who live away from home and attend uni? Perhaps they share with a few other students near their uni, what will change for them?
How will this affect parents whose DC are studying?
What will they class as a students income? Their grant?

The "They" in my second sentence = Government. Sorry for lack of clarity.

thekidsrule I agree.

I have mentioned my friend on another thread wrt the HB reduction or bedroom tax. This council tax change will be another nail in the coffin for her.

She is unemployed atm, living on £71 a week. She is subject to the bedroom tax which will cost her £16 a week. She will also be subject to the new council tax changes which will cost her at least £6 a week, based on last years council tax, which will probably increase this year.

She has to take a bus to sign on once a fortnight at a cost of £7.

She will be left with £45.50 a week to support herself. She has no other income.

How can anyone support themselves consistently if they only have £45.50 a week for food, bills? Seriously?

the worst of this is we will all moan,worry shake are heads but blithly sit by and let this happen

i really do hope that all these cuts etc will not be taken lying down but i fear they will

bad times for many in all circumstances

The people who brought these measures in are having their second houses paid for by us. That includes their Council Tax and mortgage payments. It's disgusting that these well paid, massively expensed, entitled twats are condemning those who are already struggling to penury.

What they know is their 'cuts' are going to end up costing more.

op what a bad situation for your friend and many like her

im getting so angry about this and fear many have no idea what's coming

Rather worrying, kidsrule
It's bad enough with ctc to help but i can't imagine how awful childless people's lifes are going to be now they are bringing in these changes.

£71 a week only just covers food and a bit if a utility bill,

I'm guessing these lot will be voted out come 2015, i for one cannot wait.
I know they need to make cut-backs but its coming too quick, too much & too fast for some of us.
It's rather worrying what some people wish on others, less fortunate than themselves.

We are going back to the arc, and it's already starting. People don't ask to be on mw or unemployed.

totally agree pump

have to dash but will be on later and intrested on the catch up of this thread

When you look at the figure for single people, can you honestly say you are surprised that an unemployed person might choose to have a baby?

Not saying its right. But really, how can they live?

littlemisssarcastic I suppose the idea is that being short of money can be an incentive to get a job

"Does this mean that students, who were previously exempt from paying council tax will now have to pay?"

In some areas, yes.

"What will happen to the students who live away from home and attend uni?"

They will need to pay council tax, if their local council requires it under the new rules.

"How will this affect parents whose DC are studying?"

They will need to fork out to cover council tax for their DCs as well as other living expenses, if they're unlucky enough to be in an area where students are losing their exemption.

"What will they class as a students income? Their grant?"

I haven't heard about councils taking student income into consideration in this.

Yes, because you can just click your fingers and get a job that easily. Espcially when most jobs at the moment receive on average two hundred applications.

Agree, op. its cynical political move - daren't tax the relatively rich pensioners due to their much greater propensity to vote. My parents get several pensions, free travel and winter fuel allowance.. And have three houses they're also tight so-and-sos to their struggling families

I just hope people wake up and smell the bacon before the next election.

I dread to think what state the country will be in after two terms of this kind of wholesale destruction

yanbu

but i should really stop reading these kind of threads. cos they make me angry and depressed and theres FUCK all i can do about it

I hope a lot more people choose to vote at the next general election. The statistics for people under 45 voting is quite poor, and under 25's is diabolical.

I actually do think the super rich should pay more, but I also think that everyone should be expected to contribute, the two aren't mutually exclusive. Benefits were originally intended to provide a short term safety net but have grown into a massive behemoth, and you have people who over the course of their lifetime will take constantly from the state and contribute nothing back at all. We all of us have a duty as citizens to keep the essential services functioning.

Maggie I'm aware of that - just pointing out that that's why it's like that

Lm - agree we will have a duty, benefits not a right etc etc. Absolutely!!

However,for sentimental reasons in the case of the media and blatant electioneering in the Gov.'s case, pensioners seem to be the one group exempted!! Few if any of them alive now fought in any blooming war, they benefitted more than any other generation before or since from house price rises and a generous welfare state.

We and our kids meanwhile are faced with negative equity, university fees and a ridiculous struggle to afford property and yet were the ones squeezed the most.

From my local council's published proposals to meet the CTB shortfall and find ways of extracting money from those who can least afford it is this phrase:

"Set a minimum income level for the selfemployed." (sic)

I cannot find out in any council info what this means. I am self employed but not yet earning enough to pay income tax. I'm certain this will affect me (although my income going up by £32 per week was enough to get 99% of my CTB taken away).

Does anyone know what they mean, and why they've thought it up?

"theres FUCK all i can do about it"

Not true, luckily! We elected these people in (well not me personally and I doubt you did!) and we can elect them out.

We can encourage people to vote. We can campaign to get them out.
I'm not affiliated to any political party (usually vote the same way but not actually a member) but I will do what I can to campaign against the Tories at the next election.

They've got to go!

Sadly i feel similar cuts would have to
happen whoever was in power and no party has the guts to include pensioners in the mix