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Original poster

Who should pay the council tax?

238 replies

Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:09

A couple are moving in together. Person A is moving into Person B’s house.

Person A works full-time, currently pays £1500 in house bills in their own place (rented), will only be paying around £700 once moving into Person B’s house (also rented). Person B has no children. Earns around £2000 per month after tax.

Person B doesn’t work due to ill health, is on disability benefits, also has a disabled child who receives disability benefits. Also receives £120 per month child maintenance. Person B’s benefits will go down by around £800 once Person A moves in, but will be making up some of the money by saving on some of the joint house bills that Person A will be contributing towards.

Person B currently doesn’t have to pay council tax due to disability exemptions, however once Person A moves in, the house will have to pay council tax again which even with the single person discount will be around £190 per month.

Who is responsible for this council tax bill?

OP posts:
Original poster
Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:37

Blondeshavemorefun · 16/03/2026 11:36

Too complicated.

Thats the issue with getting benifits - you lose a chunk when someone moves in as they assume will share costs

equally not fair that A has to pay the lost bit plus ct plus half of bills

A may as well stay where they are as cost joint/share is going to be the same for them but then sharing a house and child

Person A won’t be paying the ‘lost bit’ of Person B’s benefits

OP posts:
EvangelineTheNightStar · 16/03/2026 11:37

Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:35

Person B will be losing £800 whilst Person A will be saving £700 at least… how is Person B not being fair, give your head a good wobble 😂

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Person B is expecting A to pay for their child! Does your child get maintenance from other parent? If they have their own monies are they being used appropriately?

Frangle · 16/03/2026 11:37

I think person B is getting ripped off. Pp are right, the only fair way to do it is to pool the money into a joint account

Original poster
Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:36

Howeasy · 16/03/2026 11:35

what about food? Will that be split 3 ways or two? Electricity…3 ways or two?

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Everyone has very strict diet needs - vegetarian, meat eaters, fussy eaters so Person A is responsible for their food costs, Person B is responsible for theirs and childs because it works out easier

OP posts:
Jaxhog · 16/03/2026 11:36

Surely if Person B is going to be worse off then Person A needs to either at least make up the shortfall (including Council tax), or they don't move in. It doesn't make sense otherwise.

Blondeshavemorefun · 16/03/2026 11:36

Too complicated.

Thats the issue with getting benifits - you lose a chunk when someone moves in as they assume will share costs

equally not fair that A has to pay the lost bit plus ct plus half of bills

A may as well stay where they are as cost joint/share is going to be the same for them but then sharing a house and child

Howeasy · 16/03/2026 11:35

Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:32

Person A won’t be paying for Person B’s child at all. They will be responsible for half of house bills (rent, water, energy, tv licence, etc) and that’s it.

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what about food? Will that be split 3 ways or two? Electricity…3 ways or two?

previouslyknownas · 16/03/2026 11:35

Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:33

If the LCWRA needs to be renewed it will be at the higher rate because it’s not a new application

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im fairly certain that due to new changes in April
if B applies again it will be treated as a new claim and she will only get the lower amount
so standard LCWRA amount and a lower amount for health - I think it’s 200

Original poster
Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:35

EvangelineTheNightStar · 16/03/2026 11:34

Of course A is paying towards Bs child if it’s 50:50, why half? Why not 2/3rds? So B wants A to fund them and their child? Does your child’s other parent pay maintenance?
A shouldn’t move in as B is not being fair!

Edited
Show quote history

Person B will be losing £800 whilst Person A will be saving £700 at least… how is Person B not being fair, give your head a good wobble 😂

OP posts:
SnowFrogJelly · 16/03/2026 11:34

Share the cost?

EvangelineTheNightStar · 16/03/2026 11:34

Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:32

Person A won’t be paying for Person B’s child at all. They will be responsible for half of house bills (rent, water, energy, tv licence, etc) and that’s it.

Show quote history

Of course A is paying towards Bs child if it’s 50:50, why half? Why not 2/3rds? So B wants A to fund them and their child? Does your child’s other parent pay maintenance?
A shouldn’t move in as B is not being fair!

Original poster
Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:33

previouslyknownas · 16/03/2026 11:31

If the person gets benefits like LCWRA in universal credit
if they ever need to reapply they will be on a much lower rate from April as they will only get a extra 200 for being in LCWRA group rather than the extra 400

plus if they have to take medicine they will have to pay for it / get a pre paid prescription

honestly if your b with the child / disability’s just don’t do it
you will be financially worse off

If the LCWRA needs to be renewed it will be at the higher rate because it’s not a new application

OP posts:
Original poster
Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:32

EvangelineTheNightStar · 16/03/2026 11:30

Am assuming that the council tax bill for a in their own flat with single discounts in their previous property will now be considerably more with no single discount, different area and bigger property?
also is B expecting A to go 50:50 on all bills and pay for their child? What benefit is A getting? Will B be adding them to the lease so they are protected from being evicted?

Show quote history

Person A won’t be paying for Person B’s child at all. They will be responsible for half of house bills (rent, water, energy, tv licence, etc) and that’s it.

OP posts:
Howeasy · 16/03/2026 11:32

HeddaGarbled · 16/03/2026 11:32

The couple should pool their resources and pay all household expenses from the joint pot, only keeping back for themselves individually an equal amount of personal spending money.

If either of them aren’t willing to do this, they shouldn’t move in together because they aren’t ready to be a family.

Precisely!

HeddaGarbled · 16/03/2026 11:32

The couple should pool their resources and pay all household expenses from the joint pot, only keeping back for themselves individually an equal amount of personal spending money.

If either of them aren’t willing to do this, they shouldn’t move in together because they aren’t ready to be a family.

Weeklyreport · 16/03/2026 11:31

Namechangetheyarewatching · 16/03/2026 11:24

Person A should pay all of the costs Person B is losing, so £800 pet month benefits your missing out on.

Then all bills including council tax is split between you.

Food could be three ways depending on age of child

This approach is madness. You can't expect A to provide B with both the shortfall in benefits and then pay 50% of all bills. That is double counting.

They either need to combine finances and be left with equal spare money, have A cover the benefit shortfall and only any increase in bills, or come up with a system that accounts for the lost benefits, increased bills but also the child person B has.

previouslyknownas · 16/03/2026 11:31

If the person gets benefits like LCWRA in universal credit
if they ever need to reapply they will be on a much lower rate from April as they will only get a extra 200 for being in LCWRA group rather than the extra 400

plus if they have to take medicine they will have to pay for it / get a pre paid prescription

honestly if your b with the child / disability’s just don’t do it
you will be financially worse off

EvangelineTheNightStar · 16/03/2026 11:30

Legolaslady · 16/03/2026 11:25

Sorry .. Not my day today. I meant I don't know why A wouldn't consider it their bill

Show quote history

Am assuming that the council tax bill for a in their own flat with single discounts in their previous property will now be considerably more with no single discount, different area and bigger property?
also is B expecting A to go 50:50 on all bills and pay for their child? What benefit is A getting? Will B be adding them to the lease so they are protected from being evicted?

Howeasy · 16/03/2026 11:29

Legolaslady · 16/03/2026 11:26

Why are you moving in together though?? There's no benefit at all for B

Is it of any benefit to A either though if they are becoming financially responsible for a child and paying most of the bills? What other expectation will be put on them?! They clearly don’t see them as a team so why bother at all?

MidnightPatrol · 16/03/2026 11:28

Legolaslady · 16/03/2026 11:26

Why are you moving in together though?? There's no benefit at all for B

People don’t usually move in for purely financial reasons…!

Legolaslady · 16/03/2026 11:26

Why are you moving in together though?? There's no benefit at all for B

Legolaslady · 16/03/2026 11:25

Cavapoo123 · 16/03/2026 11:20

Because person B will already have a shortfall of £800 because of Person A moving in and Person B is exempt from council tax, so will have to pay out an extra £100 on it now that person A is moving in

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Sorry .. Not my day today. I meant I don't know why A wouldn't consider it their bill

Namechangetheyarewatching · 16/03/2026 11:24

Person A should pay all of the costs Person B is losing, so £800 pet month benefits your missing out on.

Then all bills including council tax is split between you.

Food could be three ways depending on age of child

EvangelineTheNightStar · 16/03/2026 11:24

Howeasy · 16/03/2026 11:15

If it’s this hard to figure out then imo they shouldn’t be moving in together.

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This, if B doesn’t want to split all finances then that’s how it should be going forward with all bills?

Bedroomdilemmas113 · 16/03/2026 11:24

Person B doesn’t earn anything, you’re listing benefits. Benefits aren’t earned.

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