Cut benefits before increasing council tax

[Bonde]

https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/reeves-council-tax-hike-5HjdMrJ_2/

As an increase in income tax is now out the window, the government will have to look at other ways to fill the gap by increasing a dozen smaller taxes. One option, I think they will opt for, is to apply a surcharge for homes in bands F,G&H. It would be politically expedient to do so because many people will assume those in such homes are wealthy.

We purchased our band f property earlier this year at £550k. We live in London and didn’t want to uproot our family, and move jobs, so decided to buy our 2.5 bed house.
After mortgage and bills, we have £100 to £200 left over, but some months have nothing. An increase would be so difficult to manage.

Why can’t the government have the courage to cut benefits. You can buy a BMW or Mercedes on the Mobility Scheme! Why?

This would also be unfair because of the discrepancy in what those bands actually mean in different counties. Someone in the same band could well be paying hundreds more or less a month, depending on their council.

I agree benefits need to be cut and also the flash cars on the mobility schemes. But I think fair enough a levy on more expensive houses.

You can’t buy a car on motability you surrender all of your benefit payment plus pay extra down payment to use a car - it never becomes yours. I’m surprised you passed affordability for mortgage if things are so tight ?

Oh FFS, another benefit bashing thread.

Because those of us claiming are living the life of Riley didn’t you know? Foreign holidays, sports cars, latest tech…

Honestly, you have no clue. If my benefits were reduced, we would be in serious difficulty. Our income barely covers the essentials (my husband works). But that’s ok is it? Because we are poor and deserve to be poorer?

You've chosen a lifestyle you can barely afford. Why?

I chose the mobility vehicle I have because it is the 1 that suits my needs - literally, the only one, it wasn't a choice.

It has cost me an up front downpayment and the adaptations cost, I will have it five years and then I will have to find another up front downpayment and adaptations cost for the next one.

In no way is it a free vehicle. It also takes up all of my mobility payment every month, which yes... comes from the tax payer via the government (I am also a tax payer) but would cost you, the taxpayer, no more nor less were I to spend it on a wheelchair, taxis or buses, because the mobility part of my PIP payment is the same whether I use it to pay for a Motability vehicle, wheelchair or not.

Why not just say you think disabled people are liars or just expendable and you're happy to trample over them to get ahead.

I'd take a half a million pound house over having mobility issues any time.

I think there’s a point in there somewhere, but you need a better understanding of the Motability scheme. The “Ooh, they get a free BMW” schtick doesn’t make for a reasoned argument.

oh not another benefits bashing thread.

Your issue, OP, is not that the government support disabled people, carers etc but that you bought a ridiculously expensive house you cannot afford.

The problem with council tax is the bands bear little relation to today’s values. OP lives in a fairly normal house and is band F. There are £700k houses that are band G paying £4k a year. Meanwhile most of the houses on our London suburban road in a low tax borough are worth about £2m but are band E, £1200 council tax a year.

So if they double the rates for bands G and H, you’ll get £700k houses paying £8k p.a. tax and £2m houses paying £1200 pa. Grossly unfair.

Wait for the budget before panicking is my advice. Not easy, I know.

Restricting the cars available on Motability would save no money. People would remain entitled to the same amount of PIP. Also no one buys a car via Motability. The cars are leased. This has all been explained a million times on MN, but people do love a disability benefit bash.

If you are going to write posts like this at least get your facts right. You can't buy a car through the motability scheme you can lease a car at a monthly cost and a large down payment but you don't own it.

People on disability benefits don't buy their vehicles. It's like a lease hire scheme with better conditions and the mobility component is taken from the claimants benefits and pays for the vehicle hire. The recipients can no longer buy the vehicle back when the lease expires. They can lease another vehicle or keep hiring the current one. Some need very large vehicles for their disability aids like hoists, power wheelchairs and scooters. Many recipients work.

What is your monthly council tax bill? Because it’s usually a steal in London compared to elsewhere…

also, can you please link how it works to buy a mobility BMW???

Agree
a huge council tax rise on those in certain houses is ridiculous and fails to understand
-a lot of people don’t have the money
-the negative effect it will have on the housing market

Labour need to sort out expenditure first and foremost

I am disappointed they have back-tracked on the income tax increase. It seemed the most sensible solution.

I agree. We are band F, as are a lot of the houses in the surrounding area even though they probably shouldn’t be. All because some idiot councillor in the 70s thought we were a pretty area and a potentially desirable holiday destination. But we couldn’t afford to buy a studio flat in London for the sale price of our family home. Plus we don’t get the amazing public services Londoner enjoy. Our local bus service has been cancelled. The village GP surgery closed and amalgamated in a hub in a larger village. The bin collections have been reduced. There are potholes everywhere that never get fixed. And people are on their knees financially because small local businesses are being eviscerated. This will bankrupt people.

I apologise if I come across as lacking empathy. I had read a post on Reddit where a posted had claimed his relatives were all claiming these benefits even though they didn’t need to.

Instead of bashing disabled benefit claimants,who never own those motobilty cars

maybe think to as why you bought a house you can barely afford,one day your mortgage may go up and you could lose that house.You may need to claim a benefit we never know what can happen.

Totally agree. I got posts deleted when I pointed out that a poster banging on about their Motability car being essential for them, had said in a previous post its main use was getting their DH to work, and she hardly used it.

It was an easy solution but if you’re going to tax income more you need to reassess benefits aswell or the electorate will revolt
Leaking the drop of the 2 child cap
whilst at the same time inc income tax was never going to go down well

Seriously, you are taking posts on Reddit as fact?

They’re probably no more or less reliable than Mumsnet.

You chose a house you could barely afford, no one chooses a disability…….