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Original poster

Council tax very unfair to single people

508 replies

Lettuceandtomatoes · 02/04/2024 19:08

The council tax for my area is £1800 full whack, a single person 25% off. I pay £140 a month which is ok until I realised the three adults next door are paying £60 pounds each and a couple paying £90 each. So why this inequality aimed at single people, picking up the tab?

OP posts:
BandyMcBandface · 02/04/2024 20:33

YesheeseLouise · 02/04/2024 20:31

But which should we fill first? Who will do it? Who will organise it?

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I’d leave that to our local Facebook groups to sort out 😂😂😂

they would actually do a better job than our council for most things tbf

bluetopazlove · 02/04/2024 20:33

Poll tax was so unfair . Sending household bills to teenagers still living with parents was so unfair .

anniegun · 02/04/2024 20:32

Its a poorly conceived tax in many ways, not least because the highest values houses do not incur a particularly high charge relative to ordinary homes. However the necessary changes will be unpopular with many so there is little appetite for change amongst most political parties

calligraphee · 02/04/2024 20:32

EmmaEmerald · 02/04/2024 20:30

Exactly!

The whole thing is just a money go round.

I don't think anyone minds paying for social care and education etc.

Well, a handful of people probably mind 🤷🏻‍♀️

but what most of us are pissed off about is massive amounts of expenditure on things that nobody wants and nobody needs.

we don't have any governments or councils that we can vote for who want to look after the basic needs of the population.

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massive amounts of expenditure on things that nobody wants and nobody needs examples please - with actual information about these 'massive amounts' because this is just made up rage.

we don't have any governments or councils that we can vote for who want to look after the basic needs of the population Confused what do you think housing, care, education, health, street cleaning, transport are?

YesheeseLouise · 02/04/2024 20:31

BandyMcBandface · 02/04/2024 20:30

What on earth would your town be like if the council just disappeared?

We might be able to pay someone to fill in all the potholes with the money we save on the council tax

But which should we fill first? Who will do it? Who will organise it?

Runningbird43 · 02/04/2024 20:31

Google Poll tax and what happened when a charge per adult was implemented, rather than per property 😂

BandyMcBandface · 02/04/2024 20:30

What on earth would your town be like if the council just disappeared?

We might be able to pay someone to fill in all the potholes with the money we save on the council tax

YesheeseLouise · 02/04/2024 20:30

YesheeseLouise · 02/04/2024 20:28

Can't you go on a water meter?

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We're on a water meter, 4 of us £35/month 🤣

EmmaEmerald · 02/04/2024 20:30

iwafs · 02/04/2024 20:27

Council tax is just a way to rob money from people and then waste it on shite, whilst providing shit services. They don't care about single people or couples or family, they just want to get money to waste.

Exactly!

The whole thing is just a money go round.

I don't think anyone minds paying for social care and education etc.

Well, a handful of people probably mind 🤷🏻‍♀️

but what most of us are pissed off about is massive amounts of expenditure on things that nobody wants and nobody needs.

we don't have any governments or councils that we can vote for who want to look after the basic needs of the population.

Houseplanter · 02/04/2024 20:29

cowgirl42 · 02/04/2024 20:25

Council tax is such an unfair tax full stop. It’s not based on ability to pay. It would be better to scrap it and increase income tax slightly. It disproportionately affects those on lower incomes.

This makes sense

calligraphee · 02/04/2024 20:29

iwafs · 02/04/2024 20:27

Council tax is just a way to rob money from people and then waste it on shite, whilst providing shit services. They don't care about single people or couples or family, they just want to get money to waste.

Erm, what?

Council services are really vital. Yes the government have cut things back so far that services are now very poor (thank you Tories) but surely you understand that social care, school transport, road repairs, bin collections, recycling, planning administration, street cleaning, housing, libraries etc etc etc are all worthwhile.

What on earth would your town be like if the council just disappeared?

Snugglemonkey · 02/04/2024 20:29

peloton2024 · 02/04/2024 19:12

What difference does that make?
2 people in a 1 bed flat pay 50% each
1 person in a 1 bed flat pays 75%

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The tax is for the property. The council does not care how it is split. The tax is x amount for a set property. There could be 4 adults in some, one in others. The 1 gets a discount, yet enjoys the whole property. Is that fair on the 4?

DdraigGoch · 02/04/2024 20:29

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 02/04/2024 19:13

I used to work in Council Tax. It's 50% a property tax and 50% a person tax. So if you're a single person you pay for the property element and get a 50% discount on the person element.

And yet you don't pay more if there are more than two adults in the house. The whole system is a fudge devised in the fallout from the Poll Tax, it needs reform.

YesheeseLouise · 02/04/2024 20:28

tillytoodles1 · 02/04/2024 20:15

It's even worse wiith the water bill, £600 for a two bed flat with me as as the only occupant, no single person discount. A family of four wouldn't pay any more, but they'd use a lot more water.

Can't you go on a water meter?

Isleoftights · 02/04/2024 20:28

Council tax is such an unfair tax full stop. It’s not based on ability to pay.

Er......yes it is. A large percentage of homes receive Council Tax Benefit, so pay nothing, or very little.

Original poster
Lettuceandtomatoes · 02/04/2024 20:27

TammyJones · 02/04/2024 20:24

Well said.
Makes sense.

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Bonkers! So would neighbours living 4 in house at much less cost. Have you forgotten the point of this post was unfairness?

OP posts:
iwafs · 02/04/2024 20:27

Council tax is just a way to rob money from people and then waste it on shite, whilst providing shit services. They don't care about single people or couples or family, they just want to get money to waste.

TammyJones · 02/04/2024 20:26

tillytoodles1 · 02/04/2024 20:15

It's even worse wiith the water bill, £600 for a two bed flat with me as as the only occupant, no single person discount. A family of four wouldn't pay any more, but they'd use a lot more water.

Water meter?

EmmaEmerald · 02/04/2024 20:26

@Caravaggiouch The point I'm making is it's a damn stupid law that needs to come off the books.

Nospringchix · 02/04/2024 20:25

AdultOnsetAsthma · 02/04/2024 19:23

The government tried to bring in a poll tax in the very early 90s, which would have been a per person levy, but there were riots over it, with student households arguing against it.

I don't remember if the poll tax would have included a student exemption, but council tax does so I would imagine it did.

I paid poll tax as a student in Scotland in the early 90s, but not sure if it was the same in NI, England or Wales. I think it was at a heavily reduced rate though.

cowgirl42 · 02/04/2024 20:25

Council tax is such an unfair tax full stop. It’s not based on ability to pay. It would be better to scrap it and increase income tax slightly. It disproportionately affects those on lower incomes.

TammyJones · 02/04/2024 20:24

haveyoutriedturningitoffandonagain · 02/04/2024 20:06

So instead of thinking great 25% off that's nice you're complaining it isn't more off?

If your house catches fire you still get 100% of the fire service anyone else does

Well said.
Makes sense.

Caravaggiouch · 02/04/2024 20:22

EmmaEmerald · 02/04/2024 20:05

@Caravaggiouch ". It’s not deemed prudent to use one-off capital receipts to fund recurring expenditure because what do you plan to do when you’ve used the one-off resources?"
this is an 8 figure one off. So it could be used on long term repairs and still reduce our bills even by £20 a month this year.

but they prefer more capex projects. We have a new leisure centre within less than a mile of another leisure centre...mostly empty. I walk past it every day. But the council gave their mates loads of money to build it so they are very proud.

but I'm sure you know, everything within councils is designed to be as costly as possible, right down to stationery procurement.

the right people make a lot of money out of white elephants.

It couldn’t, because legally it is not allowed. Councils can only use capital resources to fund revenue expenditure with explicit permission from central government - usually if they’re going to go bust otherwise e.g. Birmingham.

Councils vary. I haven’t worked for one which I thought was carrying out fraudulent activity (jobs for mates) or with procurement rules designed not to give value for money, but obviously some do.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 02/04/2024 20:22

Because there were riots when Margaret Thatcher wanted to do what you would like.

It was called the poll tax.

Bushmillsbabe · 02/04/2024 20:21

What is unfair is the national variation. In London we paid about £1200 a year, moved 20 miles West into Buckinghamshire and for similar size property, its £3500. And get less as have to pay extra to get our garden waste collected.