Council tax very unfair to single people

I am in a 3 bed terrace (owned outright). No improvements or extensions made. Just the general prices in the area have gone up.

My DP is looking for a new place to live right now. He is in a 2 bed flat which is Band A. Some places he has been viewing have been 1 bed and Band C. It is bonkers.

And people currently in a higher band who would be better off.

If you would be a Band F based on comparison with current local prices, I assume you are in a large property and could downsize?

I am Band B. With a revamp to today's prices, it would jump to a Band F. I could not afford that.

There will be people in Band A (tends to be 1 bed flats) that if based on house value now, would also jump up a lot.

@Sweetheart7 it's not a theory, it's from the government website

https://valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/21/how-we-value-new-properties-for-council-tax/

@Cyclingmummy1 it's not based upon 1991. If someone has bought a house on a new plot (new built house) then it reflects today's price. Your theory can't be correct because CT is often high for those types of properties.

Im rather relieved to hear that… and might suggest to the new build company that I spoke to that one of their staff might need training on that issue as she said we would be in one of the highest bands

Except it seems to be largely based on guesswork, otherwise all the same size properties in similar areas of a town would be the same band and they aren’t.

At the very least it needs a revamp based on today’s prices (and some adjustment for local average prices)

It's based on the value in 1991. If it's a new build, it's based on the banding of a similar property in 1991.

It doesn’t. People refer to their tax bill all the time - meaning their income tax.

Council tax in our area is disgraceful IMO.

It costs £300/month for a property over £160k in value. A property that you buy for £160k would put you in the second highest tax bracket.

Except… try finding ANY property for £160k here! Even the cheapest two bed terraces are £180k plus.

I am not sure if the brackets are enforced against only new properties though… but a modest 3 bed new build would put you in the highest bracket which seems crazy to me when there are several £1m houses paying the same amount!

But referring to it as a bill undermines that.

It’s hardly underhand when it’s literally called Council Tax.

It’s 50% for the property and 50% based on 2 sharing, thus 25% discount if only one adult in property
.

if it was all on the property then they’d now be the discount

op U.K. tried pill tax on the person and there were riots in the streets

the idea was you’d pay per person - so £400 each, it didn’t go well

It's also a bit underhand of them to refer to it as a bill because it's not a bill, it's a tax. That's why you go to jail if you don't pay it.

But when they brought in the poll tax, where every adult paid the same,not based on house size or price there were riots. I thought it was a fair way of paying.

Yes, unfortunately I’m well aware you can be prosecuted. One missed payment results in threats of prosecution from my local council. It’s rather heavy handed imo. I experienced this when recovering from surgery on SSP. Was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Prison felt like a better option, at least I wouldn’t be hounded for money I didn’t have there.

From my perspective, if someone is in financial difficulty getting into arrears with other bills is not the answer either. I feel it’s poor advice from councils. There should be options available if you are struggling to pay council tax, particularly as it’s typically one of the largest outgoings for people after mortgage/rent. Getting into arrears elsewhere just to pay your council tax is simply shunting the problem & isn’t helpful. Further, this advice makes it clear that councils couldn’t give a damn if you are struggling to pay your council tax. They want their money. Even if that means people are getting into arrears with other important bills e.g. gas & electric.

The council advise you to prioritise paying your council tax. They want their money. But they’re perfectly happy for you to get into arrears with other bills instead. Just not council tax

That’s because you can be imprisoned for non payment. That isn’t the case for other bills.

Council tax is an outdated regressive tax that punishes lower earners the most. It should be formulated on ability to pay, not wildly outdated house prices. People in very small properties pay disproportionately more than people in larger properties. That’s utterly nonsensical.

The lowest band in my area is now £140 a month or approx £1400 a year. It’s a huge hit for low earners in small properties. The average wage in my county is one of the lowest in the U.K. Council tax support has been reduced too, so people on UC have to pay something towards their council tax in most circumstances too.

It’s a huge outgoing that many struggle with. In my case it’s second only to my rent. Plus there is next to no support available if you are struggling to pay it. The council advise you to prioritise paying your council tax. They want their money. But they’re perfectly happy for you to get into arrears with other bills instead. Just not council tax.

Most high tax countries have great public services. I don’t think people would object to taxes if we actually saw an improvement in public services. As it stands, we are expected to pay a wide variety of taxes while everything is crumbling. The roads here are absolutely littered with huge pot holes, our bins are only collected every 3 weeks, all public toilets have closed & you never see the police. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We really are living in rip-off Britain where simply existing is becoming a challenge.

They did in the 90's it was called the poll tax...

It’s an infuriating system, plus it assumes the size of your house dictates your use of the services so me, DH and 2 DC under 4 in a 5 bed house pay £4k a year but a few mile down the road in a 3 bed terrace where Chantel, Dave and their 6 teenage DC live, they don’t pay anything because none of them earn a living. We therefore have to subsidise them not paying anything at all because the council still needs funds to run. But I bet my bottom dollar they would need more council services and public services than we do.
It needs a total overhaul, I feel Martin Lewis should be brought in to devise a much fair system

Hmm. I wonder why? I bet they'd fit one quick smart if it would net them more money.

Can you raise it with Ofwat? We're in a 3 bed terrace and ours is about £350 a year. £600 seems overkill for a 2 bed flat.

Go on a water meter? I have one, give a meter read once a month and literally just pay for what I use, bill was £22 this month.

Cool story bro.

I live in Birmingham.

Where we have a bankrupt council that’s been failing us for years in local services, but who have decided to increase our council tax by 10% for the next 2 years, whilst telling us they are reducing most of the services they provide. From reduction in social care and even down to reducing street lighting.

So no, things aren’t being funded here and they won’t be funded going forward from our massive council tax price hikes, because that money is being used to plug the gap of cash that Birmingham City Council spunked up the wall for failed IT systems and not bothering with equal pay for years.

In Scotland, single people also get a 25% discount off their water bill (which is collected by the local council along with the council tax).

Hotels can be a little more pricey as a singleton.

You certainly don't get the duvet to yourself as a singleton, why would the cat be giving its share up?