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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think uni students should pay council tax?

205 replies

alwaysreadthelabel · 22/05/2019 20:57

I live in a uni town. We have massive areas that were non student resident housing areas but are now mainly student areas. I cannot get my head round why students don't pay council tax. They use all the same services as non student residents, admittedly not for the whole year but at least for 9 months. They use the roads, bins, libraries etc. .... why do they not have to pay council tax?

I know some will say they can't afford it but that could be said about any household bill. It really confuses me.

OP posts:
NorthernBirdAtHeart · 22/05/2019 23:00

YABU and slightly ridiculous.
10/10 for the flounce though!

SnowyAlpsandPeaks · 23/05/2019 00:07

Because they are ‘low’ on money. Hence they work whilst studying full time. Ds is up at 6am and catches the 7am train, to get to university for 9am. He then gets home between 6-6:30pm 4 days a week. On top he works Saturday and Sunday 1pm-10:30pm and also three nights in the week 7pm-10:30pm. He works for money!! This helps him pay his train etc. He’s skint and doesn’t go out etc as he’s working! To pay £120 odd a month is absurd!!! You idiot!

gluteustothemaximus · 23/05/2019 00:15

Bloody hell.

Yes, YABVU.

PickAChew · 23/05/2019 00:18

With what?

Lysistrataknowsherstuff · 23/05/2019 00:40

Religious orders don't have to pay either - think of all those nuns putting the bins out without having to pay for it. It's not like the Catholic Church is short of a bob or two!

Whatareyoutalkingabout · 23/05/2019 00:54

YABU. Do you want to make uni even more accessible to children who don't come from wealthy backgrounds? It's already a huge struggle for many given the extortionate fees and the cost of living. Rents on student accomodation is ridiculous. While I studied I had to have three part time jobs just to keep myself afloat and even then I really struggled and lived off cheap unhealthy food. With council tax too, I'd never have been able to afford it.

MontStMichel · 23/05/2019 09:29

IMO, the amount of money students inject into the local economy of their university town/city far outweighs the loss of council tax.

Langrish · 23/05/2019 09:34

Lysistrataknowsherstuff

Religious orders don't have to pay either - think of all those nuns putting the bins out without having to pay for it. It's not like the Catholic Church is short of a bob or two!“

That’s really pissed me off 😡 wth is the justification?

SherlockSays · 23/05/2019 10:51

I'm a student so I get a 25% discount, which helps massively. YABU.

There are loads of reasons to be exempt from CT - why are you picking on students that are living off tiny loans?

ThatCurlyGirl · 23/05/2019 11:30

We are a low income household, they still didn't get the full maintenance grant

So you weren't eligible because your income is higher than the threshold. That's how the system works.

I don't want to do the whole race to the bottom thing but I got a full grant because my family don't have a pot to piss in.

I left uni 10 years ago. For the last five years since setting up my business I've created jobs and paid a huge amount in tax - it helps support the most vulnerable people in society and I've put back into the pot far more than I was given.

Oh and I don't know where else anyone can live other than "in the community".

WyfOfBathe · 23/05/2019 11:34

if they choose to live in the local community

As opposed to living where?

lyralalala · 23/05/2019 11:44

If you start means testing students I'd bet a pound to a penny that it would cost more for staff to do the means testing than any council tax would actually be paid as they'd be just as entitled to low income reductions as anyone else.

Saavhi · 23/05/2019 12:22

As if a debt of £50k wasn't enough.

yabvu

Gilead · 23/05/2019 12:32

If they choose to live in the local community surely they should contribute like the locals do.
They do, they support local shops and transport systems so no shops closing because students are purchasing there and no bus routes cut. Hmm

Gilead · 23/05/2019 12:34

I don't think students or children should pay the full rate but a reduced rate as they still create rubbish etc would be fair.
I create extra rubbish as I'm incontinent. Due to my arthritis I often have to purchase pre cut veg etc. thereby creating yet more rubbish. I have severe mobility issues too. I don't pay council tax as I am receipt of various benefits due to the severity of my disability. Should I not be able to access services?

NoBaggyPants · 23/05/2019 12:36

I'm a student so I get a 25% discount, which helps massively. YABU.

Students are exempt from council tax. I think you mean that the other adult in your household gets a 25% single person discount. If you do live alone, you've been misadvised, you should get a 100% discount.

For people asking about landlords, they are liable if the property is a HMO. However if all the occupants are students they will receive a 100% exemption.

MiniMum97 · 23/05/2019 12:40

People on a very low wage won't pay it, or they will get it heavily discounted via benefits.

Full time students are not generally entitled to means tested benefits. So rather than giving them benefits they are cutting out the middle man and suing they don't need to pay it in the first place. Reduces costs processing the admin of council tax reduction.

Remember as well that lots of students are heavily supported by their parents so effectively it would just be the parents paying council tax twice.

Passmeagin · 23/05/2019 12:41

I'm a student and genuinely could not afford council tax right now. I get a pittance bursary and am expected to work 37.5 hours a week on placement. I also work 24 hours part time so I can pay rent and provide for my two kids. I have to pay back £9000 once I qualify to. All because of my desire to help the sick and vulnerable. I'm such a freeloader 🙄

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 24/05/2019 01:46

Students who are over 18 should surely pay?

The age is really a red herring. If you look at income tax, the fact is that most people under 18 don't earn enough to pay it and a great many people over 18 do earn enough to pay - but everybody has a personal allowance and is liable on top of that.

Therefore, an extremely successful child model or young actor or pop singer might have to pay tax from a very tender age whereas there will be low-earning 90-year-olds who have never earned much and thus have never had to pay income tax in their whole lives.

Arlenia · 24/05/2019 01:59

Given that uni students are still living off the state, the state would have to increase their maintenance loans in order to pay for it (and most people already don’t pay off their tuition fee debt, so it’s not money that the state is going to recoup).

Why not cut out the middle man?

PregnantSea · 24/05/2019 02:02

YABU

RUOKHUN · 24/05/2019 02:10

OP says she is in a low income household, but her DC doesn’t receive full maintenance and she helps out.

Me thinks OP is not as low income as she thinks.

Groovee · 24/05/2019 02:25

My Dd got a full maintenance loan and a bursary on top and still struggled and had to work. She only stayed in her accommodation this year for 23 out of the 39 weeks she was expected to. She's had to work as well as having a full on study load. There's no way she could afford to pay a council tax too! We were able to help her with some food costs and travel back home.

ScreamScreamIceCream · 24/05/2019 02:39

OP you really don't know the history of the poll tax - I suggest you read up on it.

Adults in the Home Counties who voted Conservative were protesting and going to prison over it. They didn't understand why they had the same bill when they lived for example with their elderly sibling in a 2 bedroom place, as someone who lived in a 6 bedroom detached house on their own.

Some of my older siblings friends who were students at the time simply disappeared from the electoral roll like lots of low paid adults to ensure they couldn't be found to pay it.

My siblings didn't disappear as other extended family members gave them the money to ensure they weren't at risk of going to prison and could be awarded their degrees.

Then there was the cost of chasing non-payers for councils, universities, justice system, etc plus the cost of the riots.

The repercussions of the Poll Tax lasted until this century as many people didn't go back on the electoral roll as they got use to not voting.

If students are made to pay council tax then universities will be forced not to award students their degrees until they paid it e.g. doing debt collecting for the government (again), some students would disappear of the electoral roll, and loads more who are law abiding simply won't go to university as they would do the calculations and realise they simply couldn't afford it.

Oh and it would bring down the government (again) and we have an unstable government as it is.

hellodarkness · 24/05/2019 03:36

They're in full time education op, how are they supposed to earn enough to pay council tax? Any part time earnings are (desperately) needed to top up the maintenance loan to an amount it's possible to live on. YABU. I'm happy to pay more to cover people who are exempt for very good reasons.