To be pissed off we won’t get the £150 rebate

[Usererror1999]

I feel like the rebate is giving with one hand and taking with the other. But now I also realise that as we are in band E: we aren’t getting the rebate at all! So it’s just “take” from us. We already pay a higher amount of council tax and we aren’t high users of council services

We aren’t rich: but we do have a fairly decent house that we make other sacrifices to afford. We work hard and pay into a pension and pay off our mortgage in the hope that we’re fairly self sufficient in old age. This just feels like a bit of a slap in the face.

It’s only worth approx £200k. Average uk house price is £260k. So it’s not a massively expensive house.

I admit, it’s not the difference between heating and eating. It’s the fact that 75% of the population will get the rebate (which ultimately the taxpayer, of which I’m one) will be paying back. Whereas 25% of us are not getting the rebate; effectively we are subsidising the other 75% of the population.

@LemonSwan

Which means 75% of the population are living in a cheaper house than you.

@Monopolyiscrap no: they’re not. Our house is worth £200k. The uk average house price is £268k

And living in a cheaper house does not mean that someone is less “well off” than me. People can earn a high salary and still live in a band A-D house.

@Usererror1999 what kind of average? Because a relatively small number of very expensive houses can distort the average. You want the median.

My house is apparently band A, i have no idea what this means. It's a tiny little house on, a shitty council estate where roaming groups of chavs will victimise you if they don't like your face. I have to spend 30 quid a week sending my kids to a school where the people who don't like them because the are different don't try to set my house on fire.

@Usererror1999 sure someone can choose to live in a cheap house and have lots of money. It is a blunt taxation tool.

@Monopolyiscrap true enough. I can’t find the median anywhere: just the average

I don’t know what to say to you tbh. A combined household income of £55k is significantly higher than most in the UK. I mean, many people are living on universal credit which is £300 per month.

Most financial assistance provided by the government goes to those who are most in need and on low incomes etc. Your income isn’t the best, but you’re not on a low income. Yes you have stresses of life, but you’re not the most in need.

If anything, it’s nice of the government to make it not means-tested but band tested as they can presumably help more people out. You definitely wouldn’t be eligible if it was means-tested regardless.

I guess you’re technically more wealthy than those in band A-D and have more capital which is why you aren’t eligible

@Usererror1999 I do know that the council tax rates are set mainly on 1991 valuations which is crazy. My house has been extended since then, and that has not been taken into account. It may not make any difference as it is a small extension, but plenty of people have built large extensions since then.
There is nothing you can do about it. Just be glad you don't need the rebate.

@christingle2 it’s not “nice of the government” it’s not their money they are spending: it’s the taxpayers. I’d actually prefer it was means tested and only went to those who actually need it. Rather than 75% of the population getting it: and we don’t. Because ultimately: it needs to be “paid back” by the taxpayer

@Monopolyiscrap I think
It’s the principal that lots of people are getting it who don’t need it. While we (the taxpayer) will be paying it back (one way or another). It’s not a gift from the government. It’s paid for by the taxpayer. And I absolutely don’t begrudge those who actually need it getting the money

The median household income in the UK is £29,900. So you are better off than the average person.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyear2020

No it’s not coming off a magic money tree

I’m trying to balance paying for my electric, council tax and/or food this month. So p off with your pathetic whining.

@Usererror1999 Okay I agree with that about it going to people who don't need it. But compared to the outright financial fraud with covid contracts, this is small fry.

That’s disposable though; so our disposable (after tax, ni, council tax) is closer to £40k (still more than the median, mind

£40k disposable is a lot of money.

@Monopolyiscrap it still needs to stretch to paying childcare, mortgage, bills and ahem. Council tax.

I'm band C and I won't get the rebate... because I'm in Wales

I also won't get the £200 energy loan thing because I'm in Wales and not on benefits

That's the reality of devolved government and spending powers/priorities, though: sometimes you do better than your neighbours, sometimes you do worse.

A prepayment certificate for prescriptions costs £108 in England for many people needing regular medication - every single year (between the ages of 18 and 60) - many of whom aren't particularly well-off, but don't qualify for help. That isn't a concern for you at all.

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy I don’t begrudge it going to those who actually need it. But 75% of the population getting it while 25% don’t is ridiculous.

@NeesAndToes

You're just not getting money off. It's not costing you more. So you are exactly where you were before it was announced. Downsize if you're that bothered.

This

I think the point is… if there was a way to work out who should get £150 and who shouldn’t then council tax isn’t it as it’s already a stupidly unfair way of stratifying households. I mean what’s the logic of how new builds are added? We were told similar to other properties in the area ( we will make it up as we go along)

@lolly07766 . The money has to come from somewhere. The tax payer will have to pay it back. So yes, I am worse off because of it. Because the money is getting paid out (and I’m not getting any of it), but I don’t get a choice on whether it or not I pay it back (via taxation)

We're also not getting it because we live in Wales (and are in a band E house 🙄), although I don't believe we need it anyway.

We consider ourselves very lucky that our house is owned outright - we were fortunate to be in a position to pay off our mortgage 14 years ago (when we sold our band F house in the south of England - for £600k - and were better off generally!), our household bills are low(ish) because we have our own water supply and use little oil, heating our very rural property with our own supply of wood.

That said, I wouldn't consider us really well off - we have disposable income of around £40k after tax etc, but we live comfortably.

Where we are there is no street lighting or pavements, no parks and we don't use any council run recreational facilities. Our DS is grown up so no DC at state schools for us. Obviously we do make use of some council services, but not many imho.

However, it's the ridiculousness of the whole council tax system that bugs me - our previous house (in England, but not the band F one, we've moved a lot, lol 🙄) was purchased for £300k in 2014 and was worth the same when we sold it in 2017. It was a four bed, detached, period house in the Midlands.... and was in band G 😮 DH's then boss who lived in Henley on Thames in a £2.5m five bed period property in an acre of land was in the same band 🙄...go figure!