Council tax is a c**t

[Upholstery]

What kind of a tax doesn't take account of how much money you have? It's all just a bloody con.

I appreciate that, but having lived in at least 9 of the boroughs, they were all much cheaper and had better council services than anywhere i have lived outside London.

David Cameron got DLA for his son. Maybe the poster should berate him.

I'm a taxpayer and council tax payer.

I repeat: where do those who cannot earn get the money to pay your tax ?

Yes, why are you so angry @Balletpoint?
The uk has had a welfare state, correct me if l got it wrong, for over 80 years.Why the anger now?

If you are on UC you can earn.

And the original rebuttal was that it wouldn't.

When it came out, it was doomed. Taxing people - who can move around much more than you'd think - is nowhere near as easy and efficient as taxing buildings. Which rarely move.

The real problem is connecting the value of the building to the worth of the occupant.

I disagree with that. How would it work?

Universal child benefit is taxed once over the threshold, so there is precedent for any benefit to be taxed once a certain threshold is reached.

Pay the poll tax and you get a paid receipt. If you don't pay you are not eligible for any council services.

many people on UC WORK, they already pay tax.
You sound like a dictator!! you’ve taken over this thread!

I get that, but ESA is similar and is taxed. It doesn’t really make sense. For the record, I don’t think either should be taxed.

That worked well the last time. There are still people who haven’t paid it. They still get their children educated, their bins emptied, have access to every council service etc.

Do I think council tax is fair?

No, I’d prefer a local income tax as I, personally would be better off.

However, I’ve been a benefits advisor in my working life (briefly) and some of the people I advised got more every month than I did.

I still think I was better off as I didn’t have the lives they did.

Count your blessings. You’ll be happier for it.

Are you talking about not being eligible for it at a certain income?

But you can be in work and get PIP ? Mobility aids, vision aids (extra washing). PIP is for those. And if they help you to work, good.

Employment and Support Allowance is paid in lieu of work.

There are about 10 adults living in the unofficial HMO next door to me , the full council tax is £1770 p.a so they will all be paying about £17 a month each. I pay £133 on my own! I would hate to live in the hell hole that they inhabit but this shows the madness that is council tax. The other side of me are two adults who both work, they will be paying £88.50 each which is £45 a month less than me. I think this is grossly unfair

You/they kind of did get a massive 'discount' in life by never needing essential professional social care.

Just like somebody a few streets away saw their house burn down after being struck by lightning and they got loads of taxpayer money spent on them as a direct result, which we never have.

I'm certainly not demanding a discount for us not having had the expensive benefit of the fire service the same as them; on the contrary, I'm very much counting our blessings.

If it's an unofficial hmo report it to the council.

So my neighbours house is burning down. They haven't paid their council tax (or lost the receipt) so no fire engine for them.

Meanwhile my house catches fire because theirs wasn't put out (let's pretend their friends were away so weren't around to throw a few buckets). I mean it's OK, because I'd have paid and kept the receipts. However as I am dealing with the traumatic aftermath of the fire, I think I'd be asking whether it might have been better all round if the fire brigade had treated my neighbours fire, even if my neighbour hadn't been able to pay their council tax.

(Of course people who learn and remember will know that after trialling private fire brigades in the 19th centuries, it very quickly became apparent that putting out all fires - uninsured and insured - saved much more money than letting uninsured buildings catch fire enough to burn insured buildings.)

I have, on numerous occasions and next week I am attending a Community Trigger meeting due to the fact that the have been so many incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour there, Got home today and they were dealing drugs at the front door.

Hope you get it sorted

Do you really think that you gain no benefit from the existence of a police force just because you personally have never had to call them? That would suggest that they are in fact working for you quite well.

The fire service is paid for on the basis that it's there if you need it. You pay for the security it's existence gives you.

And the roads? Are you saying you never take you car off the roads on your estate? Come on now.

Again police and fire should be centrally funded it shouldn’t be down to each council to fund something as important as that via council tax.

This is fun:
https://www.pleaseconnectme.co.uk/blog/where-are-the-uks-most-expensive-council-tax/

Obviously Wandsworth and Westminster are the lowest due to blatant manipulation back in Thatcher's day.

You're right that many London boroughs are in the lowest 20% but lots aren't. And Kingston and Croydon are right up towards the top despite having nothing in common.

They don't get exemptions, They still have to pay, albeit a reduced amount.
How on earth would someone trying to live off £400pm in UC manage a monthly CT bill of £120?

Both are centrally funded in Scotland. Not sure what the other countries do.