To think if I cant pay £90 odd quid in 7 days there's no point raising it to over £1000!?

[PlowerOfScotland]

Fell behind on council tax already. Payments for March were a shock to the budget as husband's work dries up in bad weather and it knocked us back. So we've reorganised, paying more each week. Already reduced the debt.

Get a letter today, dated Monday. Full arrears due within 7 days of letter or I lose the ability to pay in installments. Payments take a day to show. So, pay by tomorrow or owe thousands in one go.

I'll borrow it out of the rent and plead to landlord, not begging here, we will pay it.

I do feel it's a bit unreasonable to give such short notice for what to us is a large amount when explanation has been given and overpayments are already being made every week. If I've not got £90 I'm hardly going to be sitting on a grand!

Probably am bu. But I just feel really under pressure on a shit budget, I know we shouldn't have fell behind.

My monthly Council Tax is more than all my other bills put together.

I'd like to know why I only get 25% discount for being single, rather than 50%. Can't wait until I can afford to move somewhere it's not quite as cripplingly expensive! I can cut my electricity use down if I'm having trouble with the bill, but there's nothing I can do about Council Tax.

Zaphod At the risk of being boring, CTax is based on a 50% property element and a 50% personal element - it is the bastard child of Rates (property element) and Community Charge (personal element).

Thus, if only one person lives in the property, you get the 25% discount of the personal element, as the property element remains unchanged. The property element can only be exempt from CTax if there are no occupants and the property is being refurbished, or is empty due to death.

Used to do this for a living!

Councils unfortunately face big performance targets for CT collection rates and not meeting these targets can affect levels of funding for other services (all driven by central government). however, contacting them is the best thing you can do, if you are willing to pay something it’s music to their ears and they can come to an arrangement that works for you, bottom line is they just need assurance you will pay xxx

There is a 'tick button' staff can see whether a liable person for council tax is pay year on year on time - when you email, telephone etc they can see this on the system. They can also see the person who is late every month paying....it there in b&w