Is your Council tax rising? Fed up

[coffeeteac]

news.sky.com/story/council-tax-how-much-is-yours-going-up-by-13076146

Mine is going up 4.99 percent. I am fed up of absorbing the costs of everything rising and rising. My wage is not getting that much better.

Just feels like we are getting poorer every day. Just fed up.

It can because ours did! 4.99% is the max without government approval. Our council is one that declared bankruptcy so asked for special permissions to raise it by more than the cap, which was granted.
https://www.lgcplus.com/finance/croydon-approves-budget-with-15-council-tax-rise-09-03-2023/#:~:text=The%2015%25%20rise%20means%20that,above%20the%205%25%20referendum%20limit.

4.99% here, surprise surprise. The council is the biggest employer and have spent a fortune on replacing a town centre no one goes to and building fancy new offices no one uses as they all work from home. Friends who work there told me recently 'they can't believe how much their pay is going up by'.
My wage will definitely not increase by 5%. I'm fed up too OP.

I wouldn't mind so much if they would fix the roads. I'm spending too much time trying to protect my car man. One 40 stretch near me has got 2 big drains with cracks round the edges. Seeing shit drive over these drains gives me the proper heebies. It's not a good thing having to split your concentration so much on one short journey.

It was extremely difficult to collect as well.

@Wigtopia sorry, I didn't mean that I didn't believe yours went up by 15% this year, I did believe you! I just meant that I didn't think they were allowed such a high increase this year. I hope not as the Croydon increase last year was outrageous - I live just over the border.

The government has massively cut central funding for councils.

The blame lays with this government.

You can't blame local authorities for trying to raise as much as legally possible, they are almost all struggling with a massive shortfall.

I'm sure the government is now just salting the earth, making everything much harder for the next incoming party. They are morally bankrupt

Reduction in central government funding was to make local government more accountable to local voters. It doesn’t really work because the very many shit local councils just lie about it anyway. Even when local council corruption is exposed people still vote the same party back in.

The uselessness and graft of local authorities is now so prevalent that we take it for granted. It’s just a fact of life.

My council is pissing away a great deal of money on green schemes and publicity for them. While the roads become dangerously neglected.

@Moliross I agree - 15% really is outrageous! It is odd isn't it, that there is a cap and yet it seems from the posts here that so many are going above the cap. Its nuts. I understand that bankrupt councils are struggling, but the cynical side of me wonders if it is a ploy to price out people on purpose, forcing gentrification.

In my borough it's going up by 4.99 and they making many millions of cuts....but the amount of council staff hired on over £100kpa has massively increased, increasing the wage bill by millions, even before pensions and benefits. They also spent £24 million of public money to do up the town hall with heated toilet seats for the staff. I'm not even joking. So yeah, that really fucking smarts.

Nope, it was to cut services and put the blame on local government. It's a simple tactic to distract from the real problem.

You have fallen for the lies and spin.

Because it meant that people like me who were living in a 1 bed flat council flat were paying the same as Lord Bath living in Longleat House which was hugely unfair.

Surely the ageing population should contribute more? My well off PIL (whom their IFA keeps advising to spend some of their significant investments) have just applied for non means tested attendance allowance for MIL with poor mobility and bingo, suddenly an extra £400 a month into their coffers that they don't spend.

it's no less unfair that for example a couple with a single income, living in a big old house maybe they inherited but they don't have much money pay loads more than 4 working people in a house of a lower value.

There's 4 adults in my house. We pay the same as the couple next door.

A system per person, means tested seems less unfair. Yes I know means testing comes with costs but many things are already means tested so it shouldn't be a barrier.

Or get rid of it altogether and increase income tax which is already calculated based on earnings and allocate a portion to councils.

There's no one way that's going to make everyone happy because nobody likes to pay more for anything but the current system just isn't the best option imo.

No they should not. They've already paid alot in tax. Why should ppl who work hard and get on in life have to pay more.
It's nice that AA isn't a means teste benefit as most of them are.
You sound abit jealous of fil. I doubt you'll say no if he passes some of his money onto you though.

Yes, totally hoodwinked. Everything’s right as rain in local government.

🙄

@makeanddo

Whst do you suggest to replace the ‘ridiculous SEN’ transport issue?

My daughter has an EHCP. The council fund her transport. She’s AUDHD. She’s scared and overwhelmed by buses. She’s selective mute. I’ve got a severe disability and can’t drive her the 1/2 hour journey. DH works 35 miles away.

Maybe he should give up work to take her? Would that be better for you? We might end up on benefits though. Which would cost the government a lot more. But at least the SEN transport issue would be solved

girlfriend44 actually MIL has paid in very little tax. She hasn't worked since her late twenties, now 82.
Nice for AA to not be means tested (unlike other benefits) maybe, but unrealistic when we're all now living to 102.
And not jealous at all. He won't be leaving anything to me.

Yep, by the maximum, alongside everything else and yet we see little, if anything for our huge tax burden and if you have anything, you'll get nothing back! Just means we spend less, certainly no point in going onto local high streets just to have a coffee, having spent a fortune in parking and to look in the empty shop windows. Where the hell is the money going, as certainly on nothing that improves my life at the moment.

Well, that's rather the problem isn't it. Keeps going up & services provided going down.

@coffeeteac yes mines going up MAX. Can't wait to read their 'blah' when it arrives, I need a laugh!

Thing is, I don't mind paying any taxes for a service, whether it's for the NHS or local councils. If it made policing better, improved education or whatever, that would be fine. But we're essentially being screwed and only achieving more of the same. No better service, just more of the same.

The Government, over the years, has been systematically withdrawing central funding leaving local authorities to find the shortfall from local taxation. So, we're being taxed up front via PAYE, and stealth taxed via a whole host of other taxation.

It's not people on benefits, or immigrants, who are robbing everyone blind. It's the government. The so-called party of low taxes and economic strength.

Yes paying more for less and less each year. Not even paying more to maintain the same

It’s just getting shitter and shitter.

Will you be holding an election of councillors this year?

We had conservative control council who always choose not to raise council tax on election years to try and get voters on side. Last year no raise, (election year) this year 4.99% and scraping the bottom of the barrel to make savings

It is rising but I don't feel like complaining to be honest. In the past year many roads have been resurfaced, bike lanes added, all the street signs/lights/traffic signs are cleaned or replaced, trees and footpaths and bridleways are maintained. It is already quite high but I never wondered what am I paying for.

Everyone's is rising.

Weren't talking about her, it was your fil perhaps she didn't need to work.
Like I said those that work hard and get on in life and make money are always penalised, yet the ones on benefits get everything free.
He's entitled to the AA. Very few people turn down the opportunity for more money. I doubt you would.