To be scared about how we will cope with more tax rises - council tax

[partytimed]

i really loathe this government. Usually with politics I feel like whoever is in charge I don’t notice much of a direct impact on my day to day life. Yes I’m aware of slow erosions in public services and I was no fan at all of the tories, I voted for this government im ashamed to say, and they lied and lied about their plans. I am so much worse off and if they double council tax bands virtually all of our disposable income is going to be gone. It feels like theft. I don’t trust them to spend the money I make properly it all feels corrupt and it’s just so depressing and upsetting.

How have they done that? The numbers show that the disposable income of the poorest 20% of households fell by almost 10% in the first quarter of 2025 alone. The average drop across all households was around 2%.

So it’s a case of ‘I’m alright Jack’ then yeah

No it's a case of those of us who need it most are alright Jack

Minimum wage rise has helped us a lot

I take it you couldn’t afford your council tax to double overnight so what makes you think everyone else can? I already pay over £400 a month. I can’t afford to pay double that.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be significant rises for other bands. All councils are struggling to make ends meet.

Not really because if businesses are having to increase wages they will pass that cost on to the consumer in the price of their goods/services.

Absolutely true, l was also called one. You could almost feel the fear of Labour voters having about as much clue about politics as the fuckwit now leading their party.

They cannot and will not admit that Labour no longer exists, it has morphed into a corrupt monster.

I think council tax bands need changing. I'm band C - small 3 bed, old house. Yet new build 3 beds are often band E or F. It should go on size of the house. If you have a very large house, that's a luxury, so fair enough with the increase but the way bands work, a higher band isn't always a large house.

It really has helped us, don't know what else to say really, we're careful what we buy and switch brands if needed. We now have more disposable income.

Can I ask what jobs you and your husband do that are minimum wage? Not being goady just interested

I’m still baffled that we all pay different amounts of money. For the same shit service.

I don’t have one, but why exactly should someone pay more council tax just because they have extended their house? They have employed tradesmen to built/install the extension out of taxed income (so employing people who also pay tax), paid for items to decorate out of taxed income(so paid VAT). I mean come on, where the hell does it end? There’ll be a fucking window tax next.

No wonder so many people are moving yo Dubai. I hate the idea of the place but even I’m tempted.

Never thought council tax is a good system. Areas priced disproportionately and within areas the banding is higher the newer the property. Too many people slis exempt.

If they genuinely want a fair system every adult in the country should pay a new monthly tax that replaces the council tax. An updated version of the poll tax. I think this would receive a better reception in 2025

The wealthy already pay multiple other taxes (which are about to increase,) so they are hardly getting off Plus they are less likely to use state schools or NHS. This new tax would be fair and cheap to implement and councils would get much more revenue doing this.

Most importantly, people use council services not houses.

It's the same old story with Labour- tax and spend. They need to reform welfare and cut the ballooning state - they won't though and as growth won't happen they'll very back for more.

Only one of us is minimum wage, store assistant type of work. Close to retirement so will stay in that job until retirement. The other earns slightly more than minimum.

This is the right wing press.

There are so very many drawbacks to this position though aren't there?

The chief one being that Labour are bleeding the people on middle incomes dry in order to do this, leaving those people with far less money. People with far less money stop spending of course, so money stops flowing. What happens then @HearingDrums ? Frankly, I think it's getting to the stage now where the people who pay are getting fed up of hearing about the protecting the vulnerable, and they are fed up of handing over ever increasing amounts of cash, and that's quite dangerous don't you think?

Never thought council tax is a good system. Areas priced disproportionately and within areas the banding is higher the newer the property. Too many people slis exempt. And personally it's starting to really grate that I pay Council Tax from income that has already been taxed.

I doubt very much the people who end up with the biggest council tax rises will just stop spending, that's just scaremongering because you don't like Labour policy.
For those not understanding why new houses have a higher band than old ones, it's based in the value of your house, not it's size.
If you can afford a new build, and I certainly can't, then you can manage a small rise, and I believe it will be small for most.

Imagine being fed up of protecting the vulnerable

We’ll all be bloody vulnerable at this rate!

That appears to be the plan. Wonder what they will do then, tax other countries?

Well said

also perhaps councils need to have a look at people living in sheds and make the house owners pay more tax. This is prevalent in certain areas of London

A small rise. Are you having a laugh?
iI already pay £430 a month. Double that is not a small rise. And it will mean I stop spending because that is more than my disposable income.
If the planned income tax rises come to fruition alongside this then I’m well and truly fucked.

Don't be ridiculous