Page 3 | Council tax very unfair to single people

Lettuceandtomatoes · 2024-04-02T18:08:48+00:00

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?

LindaMo2 · 04/04/2024 08:33

They tried a fairer way a while back where every adult pays the same as opposed to it being per property as now. It didn’t go down well …🤷‍♀️ #PollTax

Cyclingmummy1 · 03/04/2024 23:58

EmmaEmerald · 02/04/2024 19:27

I think 500 sq ft is small enough but obvs the council don't agree.

I wonder what Band A is size wise?

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In my dad's case, it's a 4 bed semi with a garage and a decent garden.

fetchacloth · 03/04/2024 22:51

gggbbbnnn · 03/04/2024 22:27

I realise this isn’t the point of the thread - but I only realised last week I’ve been paying full price for two years 🥹 I just assumed I’d sorted it when I moved and clearly haven’t. Cry

You can backdate the claim. I did this successfully a few years ago.
Contact your local council for details on how to do this. 😁

HauntedBungalow · 03/04/2024 22:46

whatkatydid2014 · 03/04/2024 21:53

Do you mean because a couple or singles who flat share get 2 personal allowances but only have to pay for one set of bills?

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No I'm not talking about bills. Bills are what happens after take-home. People make various arrangements for them. I'm talking about tax - the money that goes out of your wage before you start spending it on bills and everything else. Wrt council tax in particular, single people pay more of it than couples do. It's not a bill, you can't choose to live more frugally in order to pay less of it, you just have to hand over what the state tells you to and if you're single the state will demand - on pain of prison no less - 50% more than it demands from people in a couple.

Bellyblueboy · 03/04/2024 22:42

Papyrophile · 03/04/2024 21:37

I am not making personal comments. And I thank every net contributor. Just saying that there are more people who think they need helping out than there are people with such a surplus of cash that they just must pay more tax.

I am now lost😊. What point are you making?

bluetopazlove · 03/04/2024 22:32

fetchacloth · 03/04/2024 22:18

YANBU it's very unfair.
Single people, especially those without children, get thoroughly rinsed.

The only way for single people it seems is to take on higher mortgage and move to those places with lower council tax . One way or the other .

gggbbbnnn · 03/04/2024 22:27

I realise this isn’t the point of the thread - but I only realised last week I’ve been paying full price for two years 🥹 I just assumed I’d sorted it when I moved and clearly haven’t. Cry

tillytoodles1 · 03/04/2024 22:27

MuddlingMackem · 03/04/2024 22:23

Can't you get a water meter? Sounds like you would actually reduce your bill that way.

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For some reason they can't fit a meter.

MuddlingMackem · 03/04/2024 22:23

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 get a water meter? Sounds like you would actually reduce your bill that way.

XenoBitch · 03/04/2024 22:22

Atethehalloweenchocs · 03/04/2024 21:55

Not only do I pay disproportionately for council tax, I also pay over the odds for water. I get a 25% because they could not fit a meter, but there is no way I use 75% of the water than the families on each side of me use. It really annoys me that I pay over the odds.

Same. Water rates also seem unfair.
I am alone in a 3 bed, but pay £40 a month on water (unmetered) as it is assumed my house is full of people.

fetchacloth · 03/04/2024 22:18

YANBU it's very unfair.
Single people, especially those without children, get thoroughly rinsed.

Papyrophile · 03/04/2024 22:13

As it should @caringcarer If you ever go to Cornwall and take an AIr BnB for a few days, only a few years ago, that property was almost certainly someone's permanent rented home. It's a very very sore spot in the county. Because holiday lets aren't regulated under the same or even similar rules.

caringcarer · 03/04/2024 22:06

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.

Yet an empty property attracts 100 percent charge.

Papyrophile · 03/04/2024 22:03

@peacocksuite there has been discussion of poll tax, yes. Feel free to scroll up and read it.

Atethehalloweenchocs · 03/04/2024 21:57

It definitely costs more everyday to be a singleton. But why should society (ie the rest of the population) subsidise any one's choices?

Single childless people subsidize families all the time. By your standards, families would be totally fucked.

peacocksuite · 03/04/2024 21:57

I'm assuming after 18 pages, that I haven't read, that someone has mentioned poll tax?

Not disagreeing btw. Very anti family.

XenoBitch · 03/04/2024 21:55

Papyrophile · 03/04/2024 21:12

It definitely costs more everyday to be a singleton. But why should society (ie the rest of the population) subsidise any one's choices? It all boils down to "this is good now v this is shit now but it will get better". I am not offering any answers and would love to read some.

FTR, I am 67 but with a DC25, who will have a deposit on a property in due course, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SAVING FOR IT since the birth.

It is not always a choice to be single and/or live alone.

If I lived with my DP, I would be be significantly worse off. I am on UC, and would lose it altogether (but whether that is fair or not could be a whole different topic entirely).

Atethehalloweenchocs · 03/04/2024 21:55

Not only do I pay disproportionately for council tax, I also pay over the odds for water. I get a 25% because they could not fit a meter, but there is no way I use 75% of the water than the families on each side of me use. It really annoys me that I pay over the odds.

whatkatydid2014 · 03/04/2024 21:53

HauntedBungalow · 03/04/2024 21:39

All of these are examples of discretionary spending anyway.

But single people are taxed more. They pay more tax than couples. The state taxes them at a higher rate than it taxes couples. That's money that they've gone out to work to earn, and they have less of it as take-home than couples do. Regardless of what you personally do faffing on with netflix or whatever, single people are taxed at a higher rate than you are.

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Do you mean because a couple or singles who flat share get 2 personal allowances but only have to pay for one set of bills?

Thepeppapigfanclub · 03/04/2024 21:49

My final thought on this is not having to wash the skiddies out of some sub-standard man's underpants comes at a high price.

But it's one I'm still 'willing to' (ie forced) to pay.

YesheeseLouise · 03/04/2024 21:45

HauntedBungalow · 03/04/2024 21:39

All of these are examples of discretionary spending anyway.

But single people are taxed more. They pay more tax than couples. The state taxes them at a higher rate than it taxes couples. That's money that they've gone out to work to earn, and they have less of it as take-home than couples do. Regardless of what you personally do faffing on with netflix or whatever, single people are taxed at a higher rate than you are.

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I do agree, and I think with the cost of living crisis it must be nearly impossible for many. I don't know what to say.

HauntedBungalow · 03/04/2024 21:39

YesheeseLouise · 03/04/2024 21:34

I get what you are saying.

But haven't seen a 2 for 1 offer for years (might be where we shop).

We don't have any netflix etc, and don't go out.

Tax breaks?

But I appreciate that it does cost more per person to live separately. It must be tough for her. More tough than it is for a couple who are both earning.

On the plus side...you can hog the duvet, and star fish in the double bed 😁

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All of these are examples of discretionary spending anyway.

But single people are taxed more. They pay more tax than couples. The state taxes them at a higher rate than it taxes couples. That's money that they've gone out to work to earn, and they have less of it as take-home than couples do. Regardless of what you personally do faffing on with netflix or whatever, single people are taxed at a higher rate than you are.

Thepeppapigfanclub · 03/04/2024 21:37

I was thinking 'holidays' but already mentioned... And penalised A LOT.

Papyrophile · 03/04/2024 21:37

I am not making personal comments. And I thank every net contributor. Just saying that there are more people who think they need helping out than there are people with such a surplus of cash that they just must pay more tax.

YesheeseLouise · 03/04/2024 21:34

ExpressCheckout · 03/04/2024 19:28

It's not only the council tax, though, is it?
Single people are stung in every way:

Food and shopping, e.g. three for two offers etc.
Sharing subscription services, e.g. Prime or Netflix or similar
Two-for-one, travel together and family railcards
Tax breaks for married people/civil partners
Couples' discounts, e.g. holidays, visiting places

The list goes on.

One of my friends is recently separated, after quite a long time married, and we were talking about 'single' finances. 'How do you live on this?' she said. She simply had no conception of how much more it costs to be single.

And don't get me started on politicians' "Hard working families". Grrrr.

I get what you are saying.

But haven't seen a 2 for 1 offer for years (might be where we shop).

We don't have any netflix etc, and don't go out.

Tax breaks?

But I appreciate that it does cost more per person to live separately. It must be tough for her. More tough than it is for a couple who are both earning.

On the plus side...you can hog the duvet, and star fish in the double bed 😁