Page 11 | Council tax is a c**t

Upholstery · 2025-12-08T21:13:03+00:00

What kind of a tax doesn't take account of how much money you have? It's all just a bloody con.

Rituelec · 09/12/2025 15:00

ThisLittlePony · 08/12/2025 22:09

Of course it’s a cunt, it’s meant to be because we get local services…
98.9% of our council tax money is spent on areas that would be band A, if anyone paid the tax. So that’s free gyms, kids clubs-bfast, after schools, holiday clubs, the only libraries, community centres, parks- both play park and floral…
anywhere else in our local authority has libraries closed, kids activities stopped, but all meant to be grateful and thankful council has kept areas going. Tried to take my child to a bookbug group locally, wasn’t allowed as wasn’t band A tax.. didn’t matter group shut down as no one attended.

Im band A. Our house cost 270,000 and I have never had any of these services. Dont think my area does at all! Definitely no free meals. There are no council houses in this town, some people rent but most own.

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 15:00

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:56

PAYE and council tax payer.

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As am I and I no longer work. Retired early. Can I ask why you are so angry at people who receive benefits?

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 15:00

Nevermind17 · 09/12/2025 14:57

But they’ll never be over the threshold because the only reason they get pension credit is because they have no other income, and it’s under £12k a year.

Non-means tested benefits are taxable - state pension, Job seeker’s, ESA, Incapacity Benefit, Carer’s Allowance, Bereavement Allowance are all taxable. I have no idea why UC, PIP, Attendance Allowance aren’t taxable when other similar benefits are.

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Those on pension credit get freebies. Those freebies would push them over the threshold so if that is the case they should be taxed or alternatively do without the freebies.

Mumwithbaggage · 09/12/2025 14:58

@PistachioTiramisu thank you for that information. It's an utter nightmare, isn't it. Did you appeal to the LA? Got to be worth a go!

Nevermind17 · 09/12/2025 14:57

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:42

Of course, if over the tax code threshold.

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But they’ll never be over the threshold because the only reason they get pension credit is because they have no other income, and it’s under £12k a year.

Non-means tested benefits are taxable - state pension, Job seeker’s, ESA, Incapacity Benefit, Carer’s Allowance, Bereavement Allowance are all taxable. I have no idea why UC, PIP, Attendance Allowance aren’t taxable when other similar benefits are.

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:56

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:51

What do you do for a living? Just curious.

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PAYE and council tax payer.

napody · 09/12/2025 14:54

ThisLittlePony · 08/12/2025 22:09

Of course it’s a cunt, it’s meant to be because we get local services…
98.9% of our council tax money is spent on areas that would be band A, if anyone paid the tax. So that’s free gyms, kids clubs-bfast, after schools, holiday clubs, the only libraries, community centres, parks- both play park and floral…
anywhere else in our local authority has libraries closed, kids activities stopped, but all meant to be grateful and thankful council has kept areas going. Tried to take my child to a bookbug group locally, wasn’t allowed as wasn’t band A tax.. didn’t matter group shut down as no one attended.

I'd argue that they made the service Band A only when they'd already decided they wanted to cut it. See also complaints from David Cameron about 'pointy elbowed middle classes' right before destroying Sure Start. It's a feature, not a bug.

SerendipityJane · 09/12/2025 14:52

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:47

If you are a good friend, you can help her out.

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So no answer then ? Because you didn't really think it through and now look silly because you can't just say "I repeat benefits need to be taxed".

What I suspect you mean - and I am more than happy to put words in your mouth when they fail you - is that people who receive a benefit like PIP should have it added to their earnings (but as you have discovered, not every PIP claimant is earning) and that should be taxed. Presumably preventing the free car, 4 times annual holiday to Marbella and plasma TV.

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:51

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:47

If you are a good friend, you can help her out.

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What do you do for a living? Just curious.

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:51

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:49

I don’t understand why you think universal benefits should be taxed. Do you think working parents who claim the benefit of free childcare should then be taxed on it?

Edited

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Why not. Equal tax at the 1257 threshold.

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:49

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:46

If your tax code is the regular 1257 any income or benefits above should be taxed.

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I don’t understand why you think universal benefits should be taxed. Do you think working parents who claim the benefit of free childcare should then be taxed on it?

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:47

SerendipityJane · 09/12/2025 14:45

Rather than repeating, why not explain ?

Let's take my friend. She has secondary progressive MS and after working from the age of 16 she couldn't walk from the age of 23 and has been unable to work since the age of 26 - over 30 years ago. Nobody wants somebody who is partially sighted, can't walk and needs assistance to use the bathroom working for them.

Currently she receives ESA, and highest rate PIP. That's all.

How would taxing her benefits work ? Let's say she gets £x a year. What does making her pay 20% of that (so she receives £0.8x a year help anyone ?

This is a real world example.

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If you are a good friend, you can help her out.

BettysRoasties · 09/12/2025 14:46

I think as ever at the moment the ageing population is costing. Pensions and care for those who need it.

We also need to really and I mean really look at why so many children now have Sen. Is it because of advances in medical science meaning we are saving more babies, is it partly due to something we are consuming.

We shouldn’t need to be paying in some cases 100k a year for one child to get an education. We should just have more small schools that can cope with needs rather than having to send children on £100 a day taxi trips.

If both of those issues were resolved our councils would be rolling in cash. But nobody wants to actually look into and deal with either. One is the biggest set of voters and the other is disabled / Sen people. Who’s really going to tackle that. No politician let’s face it.

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:46

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:43

If you earn under the threshold of course you don’t. Do you want the threshold to not exist?

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If your tax code is the regular 1257 any income or benefits above should be taxed.

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:45

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:41

Same as PAYE then!

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It isn’t the same 🤦‍♀️

SerendipityJane · 09/12/2025 14:45

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:35

Yes if you earn under the threshold.

I repeat benefits need to be taxed the same as any other income.

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Rather than repeating, why not explain ?

Let's take my friend. She has secondary progressive MS and after working from the age of 16 she couldn't walk from the age of 23 and has been unable to work since the age of 26 - over 30 years ago. Nobody wants somebody who is partially sighted, can't walk and needs assistance to use the bathroom working for them.

Currently she receives ESA, and highest rate PIP. That's all.

How would taxing her benefits work ? Let's say she gets £x a year. What does making her pay 20% of that (so she receives £0.8x a year help anyone ?

This is a real world example.

randomchap · 09/12/2025 14:44

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:36

Is UC subject to PAYE tax?

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No. Obviously.

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:43

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:35

Yes if you earn under the threshold.

I repeat benefits need to be taxed the same as any other income.

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If you earn under the threshold of course you don’t. Do you want the threshold to not exist?

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:42

Justchilling07 · 09/12/2025 14:39

Really? So pensioners in receipt of pension credit, should they be paying tax?

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Of course, if over the tax code threshold.

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:41

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:40

So give on one hand, take away with the other?

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Same as PAYE then!

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:40

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:35

Yes if you earn under the threshold.

I repeat benefits need to be taxed the same as any other income.

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So give on one hand, take away with the other?

Justchilling07 · 09/12/2025 14:39

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:31

Yes. But benefits seem to be tax free. There is the problem!!!!!

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Really? So pensioners in receipt of pension credit, should they be paying tax?

Thechaseison71 · 09/12/2025 14:39

Upholstery · 09/12/2025 09:01

That isn't relevant for council tax though because most of it is spent on social care and in particular social care for the elderly. Dividing angels on the pinhead of how often you go to the library or how much rubbish you produce is pointless.

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Well I suppose then those of us (of our relatives)who never used social care for the elderly really out to get a discount lol.

Differentforgirls · 09/12/2025 14:38

SerendipityJane · 09/12/2025 14:32

To be fair, if you aren't from the UK, you may not know how our tax system works. You always need to bear in mind how many overseas posters are obsessed with making Britain fairer and throwing off the yoke of woke liberal oppression that prevents free speech and criticising the government

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Right enough 🤣

Balletpoint · 09/12/2025 14:38

SerendipityJane · 09/12/2025 14:36

"Benefit people" ?

Odd turn of phrase 🤔

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Is 'claimants' more suitable?