To think this is wrong re Council tax

[Dryjuice25]

I had a letter from the council to say now I will be paying council tax, whereas I didn't have to do this previously as I haven't got gainful employment. I have young children.I also have debts and I'm currently studying for exams.

I feel this is unfair and it's effectively a 10% benefit cut. Anyone agree? I have not seen this on the news so I think it's beingdone sneakily as this might cause an uproar with the unemployed who already live in poverty having their income cut this way whilst big corporations getaway with paying very litle or no tax at all due to various tax loopholes. I have 3 kids and a newborn. I get CTC two of the children and ex claim for one of the children. I am desperate for a job I could ask any mumsnetters to pm me with any flexible or child friendly job offers please and very angry to have my benefit cut in a sneaky way like this and there is nothng I can do about it.

Anyoone got any letters like this?AIBU to be angry about this? I don't mind paying for council tax although its a pain in the bum but dontexpect a tax demand on income support!!

Please flame me not

[Dryjuice25]

Olgaga- Thanks for the link.
Sirzy Well not everyone can afford to pay it. They are going to see people faulter and what are they going to do? Pay expensive courts cost to recover a tiny amount of council tax? I am extremely squizzed although I understand all this noise about the dificit. Taking it from the most vulnerable is just desperate really.

I have the youngest 100% of the time. The other two I have 50% of the time.

[JackieTheFart]

You need to clarify the money if you want any assistance.

You cannot possibly be only getting £111 fortnightly, child benefit alone is £67.40 for two kids fortnightly. Do you mean this is what you have left after bills?

(BTW, I do think it is wrong if your situation is the same as Mandy's)

[Dryjuice25]

ENorma This is before expenses.

Mike I get you totally.I expect not to be better off too when I go back to work but at least I will have gainful employment. Like I said I have benefit for 2 of the 3 dcs only and its on the breadline, which is fine and really helpful we have this safety net. But to be asked to pay tax out of this sneakily is really playing dangerous politics of deviding and ruling the masses. Its not right

[spaghettiwestern]

In our area, the council have basically accepted that many households are going to default and they have said that the council probably won't take them to court as it's pointless when their only income is benefits anyway. It will screw up their credit rating but if you're on benefits that's going to be poor anyway, and most of them don't have assets which can be seized. Then they can agree to pay as little as £1 a month towards arrears to avoid further action being taken.

[Mandy2003]

Dryjuice - let's see if we can sort out your present entitlement not taking into account any Universal Credit stuff or whatever. If you only have two of your DC for 50% of the time this may complicate matters BIGTIME but try inputting the info for just 1 child at present. The site I use is www.entitledto.co.uk

[ENormaSnob]

so including cb, ctc, is, hb and ctb, plus any free school meals etc you only get 55 per week?

You really need to go to cab.

That's not right.

[allmycats]

the OP makes mention of her redundancy money - is it because of this that you are not receiving more in means tested benefits ?

[MouseyHousey]

You have been very unclear on lots of details here op.
Do you have 3 children including a newborn or 4 kids?
I get child benefit for 2 children and its 33.70 a week so I cannot understand if you are claiming CTC plus other benefits how you can have only £55 a week.
Can you clarify what benefits you are receivin and how much of each and then maybe we would be better placed to advise you.

[Dawndonna]

HappyinHerts
10% of fuck all (£55.00) is very different to 10% of 55,000.
The most expensive council taxes are around £2.500 p.a. (Oxfordshire, for example). So it certainly isn't everybody paying 10% of their wages on council tax, some, many in fact pay significantly less than that.

[kinkyfuckery]

You are not on the right amount of money, if you are unemployed with 3 children. You should receive HB/LHA, CTB, IS and CTC at least.

[kinkyfuckery]

And Child Benefit.

[Dryjuice25]

Thanks MandyWill look at this later. I have the oldest 2dc 50% of the time but I buy 100% of everything they need as ex is so inept/stingy therefore feeling very stretched. I do worry about the UC issue and how its going to affect me.

[Dryjuice25]

Hi all.
I get £55 per week income support, £112 for the dcs fortnightly, child benefit weekly not sure how much I believe £20 for dc1 and £13 for dc2.

I also have to pay £80 towards my rent as savings and redundancy were considered when decision was made but now running out.

I suppose we are lucky to have the benefit system but just feeling under pressure as have debts and my course is costing me thousands, hence my savings no longer that much. I have debts that I wont bore you with and I get £55 pound a week income support because they have to deduct some debt first.And when I get it, I have some more debts. Heating alone is costing me about £90 a month so I can't wait for proper spring

[Babymamaroon]

I think it's a step in the right direction for us as a debt-riddled country. You just can't get something for nothing any longer. It's tough out there for everyone (other than the super-rich).

Where do you think the money comes from to pay for your council tax? It's your tax-paying neighbours. My council tax bill recently arrived and we'll be paying £2800 per year! When I looked at the breakdown for this exorbitant bill a huge proportion is going on Housing Benefits etc for others.

Am just really kind of sick of paying for others...

[LaurieFairyCake]

Well, you will be able to claim more when you drop below the threshold with your savings - you had more than 16,000 pounds yes ?

[round2]

If you are a full time student and living alone (25% discount if there is another adult over 18 in the property) you are exempt from Council Tax. Look at your local authority website for info on discount/exemptions.

[bluebell78]

The OP isn't making much sense to me.

I'm trying to work out the figures, to the £111 figure every two weeks, but have no idea if she's missing lots of stuff off the info she's giving us, or is massively underclaiming what she's entitled to.

OP, can you clarify the figures? Perhaps you're not claiming something you should be, in which case MNers etc can help.

[Dryjuice25]

Babymamaroon Many moons ago when I had a job I used to think like that.But now I have sympathy with the jobseeking clan more. I was better off then and I was happy to pay up.
LaurieFairyCake Savings were meant to be for deposit for a house but that is going to remain pie in the sky. Its amazing how easy it is to spend hard-saved money, so so easy when times are this hard

[bluebell78]

Just spotted the follow up post


I also have to pay £80 towards my rent as savings and redundancy were considered

You do realise that if you're only paying £80 (a week? a month?) then if that's all that's coming out of your savings pot, HB must be topping up the rest? Unless I've got the wrong end of the stick?

In which case you can't say you only get £111 every two weeks... because your rent is being subsidized.. you have to include this into the tally of what you're getting, just as a working person or other low income household would Rent isn't free if you're not on benefits.

[bluebell78]

Savings were meant to be for deposit for a house... Its amazing how easy it is to spend hard-saved money, so so easy when times are this hard

So, you want to keep your savings and let other council tax payers pay your portion?

I'm out of this thread at this point.

[CoolaSchmoola]

Above OP states she gets £55 IS per week, £112 a fortnight for the kids, plus £33 a week CB. By my reckoning that is actually a weekly total of £153 (which sounds more like it).

PLUS she has significant savings which must have been above £16000.

Pay your £2.50 a week.

[Dryjuice25]

Coola I will pay. I have no choice. Just venting my frustration really as under so much pressure and no one else to take the burden. I suppose someone else is footing the bill, as I used to in my working days.

When you have savings for something really important, and then fall on hard times, its heartbreaking to have to watch that get depleted and the dream out the window. I have taken 10 steps backwards and have now conceded this will never happen. I had a business idea that went horribly wrong, as they sometimes do these days, hence all this depressing penny pinching.

I have now managed to laugh though that its a tiny amount that is involved. But I suppose its the principle of taxing the unemployed that I find repugnant. I think its immoral esp on people who are really struggling. I do appreciate I use services and they need to be paid for but there you go.

[Dawndonna]

Where do you think the money comes from to pay for your council tax? It's your tax-paying neighbours. My council tax bill recently arrived and we'll be paying £2800 per year! When I looked at the breakdown for this exorbitant bill a huge proportion is going on Housing Benefits etc for others.
The amount you pay is minimal. It also goes to pay for HB for those with disabilities, do you resent that too?
Oh, and as everybody on here today seems to think those on benefits should do a Tebbitt, if you don't like the amount of council tax you pay, move. There are places in London with cheaper council tax than that.

[Orwellian]

Huh? Surely you would be getting child benefit x 3 (£47.10 per week) + child tax credits x 3 (£165 per week) + income support (£71.00 per week) plus housing benefit at the very least? This adds up to £283 per week not including housing benefit. Surely you can pay a small amount since you will be using council services (you get your bins emptied presumably?). This £14,716 per year (not including housing benefit) and you pay no tax or NI on that. There are millions of low paid workers who get that after tax or less and still have to find the money for council tax. I think YUBVVU!