Council tax refund after separation? Do I let him have it all?

[Beaverfever]

I left marital home in August.
I have just received a letter from the council saying that they have been informed that I have left and up to that date the account is in credit by £500.

They have offered to either split it, or give the whole amount to stbxh.

My thoughts is that I should split it and take half.

However I know his views will be different as throughout the marriage he told me I wasn't contributing.

The reality is that I WA swarming £25k py all throughout the marriage and it went into a joint account and I never saw any of it.
He was a much higher earner than me and said my pay just covers bills.
I had no access to the joint account online to see what was going on. Of course I could spend but it was very minutely disected which made it feel I didn't warn enough to buy myself clothes or treats.

One of the many reasons I eventually plucked up the courage to leave.

Anyway, since I have left he has made our that I have left him hard done by as he is now forking out for all bills himself and I live rent free with parents.

I may live rent free but I contribute a lot to the household and I pay to run my own car, look after my dog etc.

I don't feel I owe him anything.

So in theory he wil at that as I earnt less he paid for the council tax and will want the whole rebate.

What would you do?

God no, don't give him the whole lot. If the council have offered you the option to take half, then take half. So what if it pisses him off? You're not together anymore and you no longer have to take his financial abuse.

Take half. The odd thing about council tax is that you're jointly and severally liable to pay it ie they don't care which of you pays it as long as someone does, therefore you're also jointly and severally liable for a refund of any overpayment, as they still don't care which of you paid it.

Well if he said your pay just covered bills, then he's bath ally said it's always been you paying for council tax So you should take the lot, it's your overpayment 😉

Seriously though - don't over think it, just take the 50/50 spilt.

That £250 is 2-3 hours of solicitor time, which I'm guessing you're going to need unravelling your abusive marriage. If he would be pissed off about £250, wait til he sees the whole settlement 😀

Well he's lying if your 25k just covers bills! I earn less than that and cover our bills and rent.

It's 50/50.
He's been a finacially abusive twat so don't think about what you've had drummed into you for years.
Well done for getting away.

Do you have DC?

Take it, he's a twat and you're right, you owe him nothing.

He sounds financially abusive. I'd just keep it. Sod him. I just wouldn't say anything at all.

Thank you all.
I feel so much better off financially without him even though he made out he was earning the big bucks and if never get better.

I've stopped buying second hand clothes of eBay for the first time ever and feel I can treat myself to get new updated lenses for my glasses etc

He obviously sees things very differently

Luckily we didn't have children

We were planning it but I haven't had a period since we decided to start trying.

Dunny thing is, pretty much as soon as I left him my periods come back and I'm more regular than ever

I have emailed the council and asked them to transfer my half

I'm still teally scared of the backlash this might case though