I've been watching the news and it looks like Sunak is going to allow councils to increase Council Tax.

[caringcarer]

I just can't believe Council Tax is to rise really high now on top of all the other bill increases. Council Tax is already so expensive. I could cry. Do you think it will be from next April or straight away after budget? At least with utilities the more you use the more you pay so you can cut it back if you want to but with Council Tax you can't.

Our bastard Council tax band changed this year already from F to G. I actually cried down the phone to the council but they were adamant it needed to happen because of the extension tha the previous owners built. So if it goes up again this year I think I might actually explode.

Is it a really snazzy extension to put you into a higher tax band ?!?

what this does do is obviously people who can’t afford to pay council tax because they’re exempt for whatever benefits related reason, they’re not hit by it. So perhaps this is an attempt to spread costs away from income tax.

Councils are going to be spending more like everyone else. And I guess it’s closest to means testing without spending the money to actually means test. Smallest homes get the smallest increases. If you’re rattling round in a Band G, you contribute more proportionately. Or sell your house.

mine will go up £6.50 a month - it nibbles away at my budget but I’ll just try to use my 2 council tax free months to get ahead on next year.

There are, two and only two, ways to go on this. Either central government increases it's grant to local government (which they won't do) or council tax rises.

of course there is a third option. Cut even more services. Where would you cut?

Council tax is a complete POS tax anyway. Low earning, high earning, homeowner or impecunious renter you have to pay the same regardless. Unless you're in a couple - a person who is in a couple gets to pay a lot less than a single person. Or unless you live in an affluent central London borough. You pay less council tax then. I fucking hate it.

And similar to others my hatred is only compounded by the nepotistic/corrupt/batshit schemes my council spends its money on. Your developer mate just whacked a load of £1m a pop apartments for sale to investors only on the market? Why yes, then it is obviously the right time to make the street they're on one way so that there won't be any bus stops on it. The povvo losers who actually use buses to get to their low paid loser jobs will have to set off that bit earlier in the morning now their route goes via Axminster, Southend and Bolton as a result but unlike them the traffic will be becalmed, apparently.

Mismanagement of tax revenue is terrible; my pet hate is the exorbitant fees paid to white-collar contractors by local authorities, often hired in on short term contracts from out of county to steer up some efficiency measure, before leaving with a bonus or golden handshake for simply doing the job they were hired to do. A relative of mine worked on several big management of change projects for a local authority, and was shocked at the number of big pay check contractors leeching on those projects in 'advisory' roles, essentially touring the region, snapping up 12 month contracts in one council after the other, facilitating those processes but costing the LA eye-watering amounts of tax payers' money and laughing all the way to the bank. Relative whistleblew and had to sign NDA.
Having said that, and as much as it hurts, I welcome raised taxation across the board and just pray that the revenue is managed and allocated as well and as competently as possible. I totally see it as my responsibility to contribute as much as I can to the safe running of health and social care services, of children's services, the homelessness and addiction services contracts, domestic violence services, leisure, parks and green spaces, the lot!
No one is free until we're all free; to me, taxation is the most effective way of distributing funds to relevant services by far, and raising taxes should be welcomed by those whose shoulders are broad enough. I'm really worried about rising everything, but taxation is part of a fiscally responsible budget, so I will pay in good faith.

He's just playing a game. People don't matter to him. He does not understand how most peoples finances add up (or not).

It's like us trying to understand what it is like to live without clean running water. We can read about it, and imagine it, but we'll never really know.
I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him for his lies about financial help for the self employed during covid, and how he left millions of us with no work and no help. He's no better than any of the other self promoting dicks in government.

Is this where the Scottish councils are getting the funds to give out the £50 gift cards to some people for Christmas shopping? Only to those who receive council tax benefit though.

There is only so much the average person/family is able to afford in increase costs, whether that be food inflation, utility bills, the latest tax increases, petrol, mortgage rate/rent or council tax. That point has almost been reached when it just not financially possible to pay any more without causing real hardship and or fuelling yet deeper industrial action. So the government will have to decide where they want to levy their demands because they cannot keep going back to the same well. There is no magic money tree. And people like NHS staff and council workers need to understand that. You cannot take money from an empty purse.

Council Tax is the one tax I really resent going up. I'd much rather pay more NI and for it to go towards the NHS rather than pay my district Council even more for bin collections. I already £2,900 for a three bed house!

Which bit would you like to opt out of? Nobody collects your garbage? The street are cleaned even less? No gritting in Ice and snow? Shall we put down the elderly and incapable? Euthanise the kids in care? Lets not bother cleaning out the gutters. Close the few remaining libraries? Stop advice services for the poor and vulnerable? Get rid of the (new) warn spaces for people who can't afford fuel bills? Schools? If you are willing to opt out of council services FOR EVER, than I think it's almost fair you shouldn't pay for them. But I totally guarantee that you really wouldn't like that, and whatever you think, there's services you have used, use now and will use.

It’s rising less than inflation apparently so I don’t know how they’ll cover things realistically anyway without more cuts. Council workers need paying properly too or they’ll leave.

@Quveas most council services are funded by the central taxes we all pay anyway. And I don't think the pp said she didn't agree with paying it on principle, more that the scale of her worry over it increasing meant she was on the verge of tears.

I'm sure she feels better after you berating her though.

@Quveas I don't object to paying it but the thing is, I have no more money. None
I can't cut anything back, I don't drink, go on holiday, go to the cinema. Anything
And everyone keeps saying about stuff going up, and it's like "where do they think we can get the money from?"
I don't have a spare £20/30/40 because it's all gone on the increased gas and electric and I doubt I'm the only one. Unless my wage increases, I can't find more money on a money tree

It'll be ironic if I have to go to a warm space funded by the council tax because I can't afford to pay my gas bill because.. of a council tax increase

What seems so unfair with council tax, properties in Westminster and other expensive parts of London are the cheapest in the country. Surely the rate per band should be the same across the U.K. it varies quite a bit even from one town to another.

Increasing tax in second or holiday homes will help massively. They are trialling this in Whitby. If every holiday home paid full tax some area would see a real boost. Probably an increase in available property too.

Eventually they'll have to, but it would appear we're all going to suffer for a while first as that lesson is learned the hard way.

Golden opportunity missed with only reductions in the dividend nil rate band and reducing the annual CGT allowance. A drop in the ocean. And probably will cost HMRC more than the revenue it generates due to the sheer number of people who'll have to register for self assessment and submit tax returns (many of whom will be the elderly who will need help, so the already creaking HMRC support lines will be completely swamped!). They really havn't a clue what they're doing.

The announcement annoyed me, the line (in the live reports) that this meant a Band D property would rise to over £2000, annoyed me no end. It already is.

Luckily a move from a cheap area to a more expensive area meant my CT went from a D to a C. (Not worked that one out either)

Yup, our band C is 2100 as is. On the IoW where our services are notoriously poor.

My council tax is already over £200 and always rises to the maximum too - we see very little for that due to all the cuts. I also resent how much money my council waste. Looks like the TV licence will have to definitely go.

Nearly 60% of council tax goes on social care; there is a massive crisis in social care and more money is one of the the things needed to fix it. So yes, council tax is going to rise to fund increases.

furlough can get up to £2500 per month!!
omg, how much money did we pay for that!!!??
I know some people claim furlough and get a cash job at the same time.
and, UC no work, get £600 a month, furlough no work get £2500, is it fair?

now it is the time we pay their bill.

also the help out eat out, help the covid getting worse.
how come this man can be PM??

I agree. Rishi is not good news for anyone unless they are already very rich