I am fuming…

[LinaLM]

I am so infuriated with the cheekiness of the British councils and how they try to extract people’s money at every turn they can.

I have decided to leave the U.K. and move to my husbands country (Switzerland) with our baby. DH is moving shortly (within 6-9 months) waiting for a transfer. So I have now left the U.K. and starting a new job shortly, my baby is going to a nursery etc. So I have contacted the council where we live providing detailed explanation and asking to reduce the council tax to a single person occupancy (30% off). They came back to me literally saying that they do not believe the fact that I have now left and therefore will not remove my name from this address and therefore won’t reduce the council tax. I mean the AUDACITY! They just try to drag this on to extract as much money as they can from a paying resident. They even told me that if I’m not happy I can appeal. So this is ongoing. It’s like it’s not your bloody choice when people leave your council and you can’t bloody force them to say.

Another thing that recently just added to my desire to leave was the congestion charge discount. So we live in the zone so eligible to effectively not pay it since recently. BUT in order to apply for it you have to send tons of documents about me and the car. You have enough documents to bloody charge me that’s no problem but once I want to get my legitimate discount you just try to bury me under the paper load. I honestly can’t wait to get the hell out. It’s just been compounding for too long and now reached the point where I just hate being here.

Does anyone feel as frustrated with these complete morons?

I honestly can’t wait to get the hell out. It’s just been compounding for too long and now reached the point where I just hate being here.

OK I'll just say it. Based on this I don't believe you've moved to Switzerland either.

I don’t actually agree with that. The salary is higher. Property price is lower/similar vs London. There are loads of tax advantages, so overall we will be better off financially there plus the quality of life is better.

It's probably not helping that you consider local government officers to be 'complete morons'. I've worked in local government and the vast majority of my colleagues were conscientious, hard-working and keen to help, however we weren't able to change the rules to suit the whims of individuals.

HTH.

While my DH is there I don’t feel that we have fully moved. Once that happens and we sell our property it’ll be different. I’ve now physically moved with the baby.

I had a similar situation with council tax a few years back now, but different circumstances and yes, the councils are a complete nightmare to deal with (and I offered them plenty of proof which they turned their nose up at)
They get very antagonistic and argumentative.

And come on, this is 2023 - not all married couples live together (I have cousins who although married now live in different countries and have done for years! And it's no one's business but their own)

Hope you get it sorted soon. And it's great you got yourself a lawyer! I wish you every success and happiness for the future. 🤍

Appreciate it 👍👊

That's good then despite it being rated as the most expensive country in Western Europe and the third most expensive in the world. 😬

My understanding is that bureaucracy is far worse in Switzerland.

re the council tax, if your DH had simply contacted them to say he was now a single occupant, I think he would have just signed that as true and that would have been it.

That’s true but the tax advantages and various benefits make a huge difference so overall in comparison to London specifically - it’s not that different and in our case much better. Plus you can’t discount the quality of life for us and the baby.

That’s how the story began.. :-)

I know the feeling. My husband was working away and paying council tax elsewhere so I got in touch to get the single discount. No, you have to keep paying as he is there 2 nights a week. So can he stop paying it elsewhere? No, it's included in the accommodation with his government job.

You’ve just moved to a foreign country alone with a small baby to start a new job and the biggest worry in your life is claiming a Council tax discount? Sorry, I’m finding this very hard to believe!

I guess all the world stats are wrong then.

Paperwork in the UK has undoubtably got worse over the last few years and some councils are just awful. My son's council is a dream to deal with compared with my own - phone calls get answered, their website is clear, with mine, you just go into a telephone maze that inevitably ends up at "I'm glad we were able to sort your issue today".

I have an ongoing battle over council tax from 2012, when I wasnt in the country but they wouldnt believe me, despite a different bit of the council demanding a translated tenancy agreement who promptly lost it. I mean I have passport stamps, do they think I snuck back into the country or something?

But yeah, paperwork generally is awful.

Well I hope your relocation goes well! My now ex-DH had the chance to relocate to Switzerland. We had a little one at the time. He refused - couldnt cope with the rigidity of structure of life over there. But subterranean car park - absolutely correct but jarred a note. To make you feel better I am also dealing with UK council tax issues - little one will be 18 soon and I will lose my single person discount. The information we have to provide from college regarding his FULL-TIME course is astonishing. We have no say over the college days or hours - it is different to school - but gosh getting the LA authority to accept that child is in FULL-TIME education is tricky. The college seem to know the issue (luckily) but it is a huge difference to my finances if the LA mess around.

Sorry KillerSandy what’s your point here? What stats are you talking about?

I hear you 👊

Google - cost of living in Switzerland v the UK and the rest of Europe.

as you still have 2 incomes of course they wont reduce it.

Totally agree with you and I am glad you don’t believe that as that would have obviously been a ridiculous thing to claim!

Luckily I’ve never once implied that it was the biggest worry in my life..more of a nuisance…

A really good way to cut the paper work if you are privileged enough to live in a congestion zone is get rid of the car

Good luck paying your tax bill in Switzerland - I don't think you've done your research if you are getting that iterate about a council tax rebate

Ok KillerSandy it may surprise you but the salary is higher, tax is lower, tons of tax benefits, tax of various advantages once you have kids, almost full salary paid once you lose a job for up to 2 years etc. plus you can’t compare the quality of life. So with all due respect you have no idea what you are talking about :-)

If you live in Switzerland, why are you concerned about the London congestion charge? You don’t live here anymore.

If you don’t want to give your details why do you think you should receive the benefit of a discount?

I was in a situation once where in order to get a small housing cost reduction (a financial benefit) I had to show wage slips etc. I didn’t want to do this so I went without the discount. Perfectly fair that you need to give whatever proof is needed if you want to claim a benefit.