to feel insulted by this letter from the council and to go and "speak" to them about it?

[mateysmum]

OK Ladies, my first AIBU, but I have been stewing about this and want your wisdom please before I make an idiot of myself.
Background... I live in the UK with DS but DH lives and works abroad and has done for years. He is non resident for tax purposes and comes here every few weeks for a day or two. I am the sole owner of my home. Therefore I claim council tax allowance for a single person. I recently moved house and notified the council. On Sat I received a letter from them querying why if I am living singly am I paying council tax from a joint account. (never been queried at the old house). Then what got me going was the following questions:

1. What is your relationship to the joint bank account holder?
2. If this is a spouse are you still in a relationship and if not why do you continue to use a joint bank account? 3)Where does the joint bank account holder live?

Now I know that benefit fraud is common and that as a tax payer I should be grateful that the council are trying to stop people cheating the system, but I just found the whole tone insulting - especially ? 2. None of their business. It also asks me to reply straight away. If I wanted to cheat I could easily have paid from my personal account and no problems.

So AIBU. Should I just meekly send a reply answering all their questions or do I politely let them know that their letter could be "improved"...

TIA.

Round that is incorrect anyone who lives alone (and its not a temp arrangement) qualifies for the discount if they live in an area that has not removed the discount.

OP - I know you have calmed down and are going to answer the Qs truthfully, and I do think you are entiled to the single person discount - do remember that going in all defensive will only make them think you have soemthing to hide!

Can't believe how many readers think this "single person discount" is anything to do with being married or single. It's about residency in the house in question, nothing to do with married, single, cohabiting or divorced.

And as for the joint account - you could have a joint account with a parent or sibling, they do not have to live with you.

Mateys, your dh will probably have something re his non resident status from hmrc; even if it is years since he received confirmation of his status, they will send something out again if requested.

Just send them that or direct them to hmrc with his ni number if you have it to hand. You are entitled to single occupancy rates and it can be sorted easily

To the posters who are doubting, single person discount is only 25% and so therefore those in single adult households pay proportionately more for council provided services surely?

Nice one Op

Some people on this thread need to have a word with themselves. The OP is claiming a benefit to which she is entitled. Why should the fact that her kids go to school in the local area mean that her DH should also pay council tax even though he doesn't live there.

What about all the people who don't pay council tax at all because they are on other benefits? Should they not send their DCs to local schools? What about people with no children? They are still having to pay full council tax despite not using the schools. The presence of children here is completely irrelevant.

The OP's DH lives away and therefore is not benefitting from the street lights, emergency services, libraries or parks or whatever else the council tax pays for. So the fact that they are paying 75% of the council tax is actually unfair as they are using half the facilities that a couple would.

I think the tone is a bit accusatory, and I wouldn't like it. But I think you may still BU!

There may be a politer way of asking. Nevertheless, I could see something a bit more concillatory might not be clear to some people. They aren't just trying to fill in details about you. They are trying to see if you are paying the incorrect amount of council tax. So there is a clear purpose and the tone makes that clear, there's no mistaking it really.

Yes Phantom, you're right, and l plan to review my draft tomorrow to make sure my tone is correct. I have deliberately just bullet pointed the situation without pleading or claiming "my rights" and as Blondie suggested have given my phone number and suggested they call me if they wish to discuss. I have Dh's NI number if they need it but he will have any HMRC paperwork.
Can't get hold of him at the moment. He's in Kazakhstan.

OK mumsnet jury what do you think of the following as the draft for my letter?

Dear Revenues and Benefits,

Re account number xxxxxxx and your letter of 20/03/2013

My circumstances are rather unusual but I can confirm that I am the sole adult living at the above address.
The joint account holder is my husband with whom I am still in a relationship. However he does not live in the UK and has not done so for 10 years. He is non-resident according to HMRC rules and has been for the whole of that period. His residence abroad is permanent.
His employment abroad is permanent with no job available to him in the UK.
He does not own any property in the UK and has his own home in country X.
FYI, I attach copies of his country X utility bills.
Should my circumstances change, I will of course inform you.
I trust this answers your queries regarding my single person discount, but if I can be of further assistance, please call me on xxxxxxxxxx.

Yours Mateysmum

I thought I had a copy of DH's residence visa, but he's just got a new one and I will need to get it from him.

tallulah - that is weird - we were in exactly the same situation and very careful phoning told us that we could get the single discount at both residences.

Although this was 2005 so pre-recession so perhaps they were more generous then.

Or maybe they thought that dh had left me and I was in denial!

Sounds good matey

They can always ask for more info if they want.

You have a joint income your husband does visit you he does make use if the amenities so its right that there should be some giving back.

Ok Locked. Are you single or living with someone?

If you're living with someone, are you only paying one council tax bill?

If you're so sure OP should just pay 100% of the bill then by the same logic why should someone who is single pay 75% when a married couple living together only pay 50% each? Does someone in a couple use less of the services paid for by CT than a single person?

It's only another £xxxx pounds per year so why don't you just fucking pay it, like you're saying to OP.

Your goady argument has no logic to it whatsoever.

I don't think it is at all a case of LA's having 'a stiffer test of residency than HMRC', mateysmum but more likely that differing governing bodies (be they central or local) having different criteria (perhaps even often simply utilising information that is already within their systems).

The 'evidence' you are sending sounds (to me) completely adequate and I cannot visualise you having any problems with it. Your circumstances are certainly unusual, but hardly unheard of! In the end it will come down to local policy application.

I do believe that it was a fairly 'standard letter' and rather than meant to imply anything untoward, perhaps it was simply intended that it cover 'all bases'.
It's horrible that you have been made to feel upset by it though. Not always very well written these things!

Thanks Sleeton.

Agree with Shelly.

Aaaargh @ this thread!!!!! Its a fucking DISCOUNT not a fucking benefit or allowance!!!

Hang on a sec. We keep hearing about women who are pretending to be single mothers and just have their boyfriend visit overnight a few times a week so they can keep on getting benefits. And that is wrong. But apparently this is okay. The OPs partner evades tax yet his family are staying here and using all the services and evading another little bit of tax on the side.

Sorry, I can't see how this is any different from the 'single mother' benefit cheat.

OP, pay your fucking taxes, all of them.

How is he evading tax,he is resident and working in a different country and returns to this country less than 30 times a year.

Hold on Bridget how the flip is my husband EVADING tax. That is a very strong accusation to make. His job is in another country. He lives in another country. So you think he should pay full tax in 2 countries and have sweet FA left to live on. Get real.

I am not getting a benefit I am just entitled to pay less tax as sole adult in a house.

I pay all the fucking taxes that I am required to pay. I am not required to pay more than that. Some people just don't seem to be able to read. This has been explained numerous times on this thread.

I have not been and will not be dishonest in any way regarding my tax affairs.

The OPs partner evades tax...

WTF.

That is bang out of order, Bridget.

Did you actually read OP's posts or couldn't you wait to steam in with a grossly unfair accusation?

Read the fucking thread, the hmrc say he is none resident that's what the op meant not that he buggered off abroad for tax reasons.

He is evading tax by not living here full time for tax reasons...

Where on earth have you got that from?

Bridget, on your logic, every single person who comes to the UK on holiday is also evading paying tax on their income too.

I don't live in the UK but I do come from time to time. In that case PROUD TO BE UK TAX EVADER