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?

If you look at what the standard benefits are I don’t think they can cut it without people literally starving. It’s about £400 a month for a single person. I certainly couldn’t run a house on that and they only pay the LHA most rents are higher than that now so a lot of the time some rent has to come out of that £400.

Everyone has found a decline in how far their money stretches now but someone with a big house and a good job has much more wriggle room to make changes than someone at the bottom of the financial heap.

I mean this is a bit of a pointless argument as council tax doesn't fund PIP or motability, it funds local authority services (you know all those frivolous things like bin collections, SEN services and adult social care) and local authorities all over the country are at risk of bankrupcy due to financial pressures.

I personally think that complete reform of council funding and local taxes is needed rather than shoving extra on to the higher council tax bands, becuase the syatem is already mad. We live in a modest 2 bed flat in a SE Londkn borough, we are band B. We literally pay more council tax than someone with a Band F property in Westminster. I can tell you, someone who has a Band F property in Westminster is a hell of a lot richer than we are!

Ah, the “I own a property worth half a million but I’m not wealthy” brigade.

What do you want from people like this? What do you think they should be doing?

I'm not in that category, but in many places that's the price for a very small home and many, many owners will be paying a chunky monthly mortgage with interest rates that have increased. It's understandable that there are worries on all sides.

Not moan about some of the poorest and most vulnerable in society and want the government to take money from them

More she’s paying a huge amount to live in a 2.5 bed.

But they are already paying for those and are struggling themselves?

She outlined her difficulties in her first post. Fine, no problem. She is not alone in her struggles. What is not ok, is what she did after that. Bringing Motability into the conversation in such a crass way, when she had no idea what she was even talking about. It made little sense, and even if, as patient posters have pointed out, they scrapped the Motability scheme today, the OP would still be in the same boat. She made a choice to stretch herself, and leave barely any wiggle room in her budget. Disabled people do not choose to be disabled.

But a person with a half a million pound house is not even close to the level of struggling of a disabled person claiming pip which can be as little as under £30 a week. Do you not think people on pip also work and pay tax. Do you not think a lot of people on pip worked for decades paying tax before needing pip. Do you not realise that if pip was reduced or taking away that level of care would still be there and need funding by the government at triple the cost.

Ah, she had the temerity to question some sacred cows she's paying for.

As for her choice in house, how dare she make a decision about her own money?

Don't come out with crass platitudes, that will not have an effect on her life, one way, or another.

Of course it will have an effect. A negative one.

She'll have less money because she'll be paying more tax.

Because they are the easy target sadly.

What most people forget that if they are lucky enough to be in good health now that could change in a heartbeat. It only takes one illness or accident and the nice safe life you have can be taken away.

Why not wait to hear the budget eh? The taxes do not just go on welfare benefits, anyway!

I know. One day some of these same people could be looking back, regretfully at the way they are thinking now.

OP, you haven’t really put up much of an argument since starting this thread. What are your thoughts now? Still the same?

This is it exactly. Life can take many a cruel twist and turn and attacking those who are already sick and / or vulnerable, isn’t the way forward.

Some may say sell your house that you’re struggling to pay for and move to one out of the area even if it means uprooting your kids job ect.

Hardly. She is owned by a massive mortgage. She certainly doesn't own the asset yet.

Very true.

Agreed, those very same benefits that some people want razed, could be the very same benefits that they, one day, may rely on themselves. Maybe then they will understand that they have been fed so many lies, about people living some bountiful life on them.

The fact she can get a mortgage for that amount shows shes not struggling

No, it doesn't necessarily mean that, sometimes people have to really stretch themselves to try and get their own home.

That's often unaffordable in itself though isnt it, with all the costs of moving on top of finding a new job or funding a further commute.