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?

Absolutely. I wish people would educate themselves better on how little benefits are in monetary value. And how many hoops you have to jump through to get it!

Come on its a half a million pound house she's not working a minimum wage job is she. Its another one of these me and my partner earn 100k a year and can't afford to live people 🙄 why she begrudges the poorest and most vulnerable in society.

Not at all. As I've already said, she has over stretched her finances and is struggling. You can argue that it was a choice but what good choices are there for many people now?

Lots of choices thats the difference between severely disabled people and able bodied people

It seems to be acceptable on here to just tell those struggling the most on benefits to move.

Just a few days ago someone told me I should move to a basic house in a basic location so I could stop needing UC.

Recently, someone suggested an OP to move house so she could have better job prospects and not need UC with £9 left in her bank.

It shouldn't be like this. We shouldn't be against each other, in reality lots of people are struggling at the moment for different reasons. The only thing the last few governments seem to have been good at is pitching us against each other.

I was just about to say this too. According to MN, if you are struggling on a low income and need a UC top, then you must move to cheaper area, you must get a better job, you must cut your cloth accordingly. But turn the tables and oh wait, OP is struggling, but doesn’t WANT to move, so she attacks the disabled instead.

Exactly this. Has anyone suggested she move into a house share yet or invite a complete stranger into her home to rent a room.

Without motability, many disabled people would not be able to work (and pay taxes). Those who can't work do need to get around. Should you become unable to walk through accident or illness, do you think you should become housebound, unable to get out, socialise, shop for yourself?

There are some uniformed and truly mean-minded people on MN.

No one has suggested that she readjusts her living arrangements
( funny that!) It’s only the poor who are meant to uproot and turn their lives upside down, so they can stop sponging off the high income tax payer.

Some people on benefits also have to pay up to 20% council tax

20%? Im on benefits and pay 100% council tax

My council makes those of us on UC pay a minimum of 20%. I've just transferred from income based ESA to UC and I'll have to pay more despite having the same level of income

You got lucky our council doesn't give any discounts for benefit claimants

I'm sorry but I just don't see someone who made the choice to purchase a half a million pound house which leaves them with £100-£200 left over after bills as struggling but just in a different way.

Especially when they then go on to attack disability benefits when it isn't a choice to be disabled like it is to purchase an expensive house.

Which I think is what most people will be experiencing come the budget
Same income…less take home

That's true but that does not mean that she is privileged. She's still struggling, just probably less so.
It's not a race to the bottom.
I agree that disabled people are often targeted very unfairly. See also poor people in general, ethnic minorities, even public sector workers.

Well, it's a little sad that you can't see that others too may be finding things difficult.

I'd maybe have more sympathy if OP didn't target disabled people who again, didn't make the choice to be disabled.

OP made things more difficult by buying such an expensive house. A choice.

There's a difference.

Hang on. Younger people are being told to stop eating avocado toast, move to cheaper areas and stop being so entitled all the time by older generations who were able to buy houses cheaply.

It's probably not expensive for where she lives and circumstances can change.

It depends what you see as a privileged. I think being able to get up in the morning and be able to wash and dress yourself without help a privilege. I also see not having to take fistfuls off pills to keep you alive even though they will make you feel worse a privilege. I see not having to use all your holiday from work for appointments a privilege. I see having a normal life expectancy a privilege. I see not being constantly in pain a privilege. These are all privileges that people take for granted until it happens to them.

It was still a choice. A choice many of the people she would like to take money from don't have.

She shouldn't have attacked disabled people. That was unfair and ignorant and born of stress.
I think some people are going OTT in attacking her back and being pretty unpleasant. She had some choices but none were very good ones. House prices are far too high relative to incomes and that is causing so many problems for so many people. It's not just the disabled that are finding life hard.

That's all fair and I sympathise if that is your own situation but it doesn't mean that everyone else is having an easy time. You have every right to expect more empathy but you don't have a monopoly on it.