Recently i applied to the exceptional hardship fund for funding towards my CT liability,

this as in previous years was awarded due to my financial situation,

the award was for 50% of the amount that was left after all other discounts deducted and was for the period from 1st April to September 30th

they 1st sent me a demand for an instalment that would have been due for April ,

I contacted the council and explained I should have received a revised ct bill for the other remaining 50% , they said they would get it sorted out

Then today i receive a revised CT bill but they have reduced the instalments instead and are expecting me to pay the first one next month, (they don't have a hope in hell)

i have an award letter that says that my liability has been paid for 6 months, therefore, i should not be expected to pay anything until October

That is assuming that i do not apply again for another award just before then, and it isn't granted

But in the past few years,

i have had 100% paid,

(council only awards for a max period of 6 mths awarded For each successful application )

Only having £73.10 to live off each week and a load of debt

people in my situation shouldn't be subjected to pay CT at all

yet another of the nasty parties cuts that caused this with their fake austerity claims

Blimey, you would not want to be an OAP with no benefits. we have to pay FULL council tax of over £108.00 a month, so I suppose you expect us to support you..if you are on your own you should be getting a 25% discount anyway.

Using your premise we should not be paying for the education of children as none of our kids went to school in the UK.

I am not normally this judgemental but this makes me so angry. we have to pay full whack for everything and have paid all our taxes and dues. We have bills, and debts too. Oh we can't even get a bus pass,

we pay you pay - end of you can always leave this country and go to the far east or other areas with no help

OG are you referring to me? I hope not... i was so surprised at the benefits people can get in this country even if they are not working. Old Hobbit is till working aged 75. of course we do have a private superannuation which takes us out of any benefits, we pay tx on this, so I think we are paying our dues in this country.

OG are you referring to me? I hope not... i was so surprised at the benefits people can get in this country even if they are not working. Old Hobbit is till working aged 75. of course we do have a private superannuation which takes us out of any benefits, we pay tx on this, so I think we are paying our dues in this country.

Referring to poster - fed up with these wimps only live on £70+ a week hang on they get all the top ups and as seen smoke/drink/posh cloths etc etc etc in a majotiy of cases, and the state owes them??? no way benifits Nooo we did not get them or our parents, child allowance was a godsend when inroduced did we complain noooooooooooooooo

Referring to poster - fed up with these wimps only live on £70+ a week hang on they get all the top ups and as seen smoke/drink/posh cloths etc etc etc in a majotiy of cases, and the state owes them??? no way benifits Nooo we did not get them or our parents, child allowance was a godsend when inroduced did we complain noooooooooooooooo

also am paying tax in silly pension income from days of trying to save for pensions including mis sold pensions under section 32 hence still little monthly income minus tax one amounts to £23.45 after tax per month, also the raids likes of Gordon Brown did on pension funds cost us dearly, including not able to top pension payments up after your 55th birthday so had to take another one out for the difference you wanted to pay in/top up, another Brown type hype.

Jeez, can't believe how judgemental the above posts are. You probably live on more than £73 a week. If you're single, that's all you get.

OP - no idea if this will help - but usually, you pay CT over 10 months. You can ask to pay it over 12 months instead.

Judgemental yes, but you know nothing about me. i get very angry when people expect not to have to pay anything towards because they only have £70.00 a week to live on. i am lucky some weeks to have £70.00 left to live on after paying for everything. Then agani we are of the generation we saved towards our old age, we did contribute to private pensions and both of us saw active service. When you read

Only having £73.10 to live off each week and a load of debt

people in my situation shouldn't be subjected to pay CT at all is when I get so angry. Why should I donate in goods and time to the Food Bank?

OP go down to the Council Office and speak to the CT Officer, there might be another way around this. If you go to the Food Bank have you spoken to the welfare advisor there?

Judgemental yes, but you know nothing about me. i get very angry when people expect not to have to pay anything towards because they only have £70.00 a week to live on. i am lucky some weeks to have £70.00 left to live on after paying for everything. Then agani we are of the generation we saved towards our old age, we did contribute to private pensions and both of us saw active service. When you read

 

Only having £73.10 to live off each week and a load of debt

people in my situation shouldn't be subjected to pay CT at all is when I get so angry. Why should I donate in goods and time to the Food Bank?

 

OP go down to the Council Office and speak to the CT Officer, there might be another way around this. If you go to the Food Bank have you spoken to the welfare advisor there?

well said as your comments serves both of us, including tours of Active service in 60s with a wage of £3.50 per week to cover cleaning materials etc and taking on a ready made family of 3 children so worked 12 hour shift no extras there also the wife then other half kept getting maintenace written off every time the case went to court and I was taxed on unearned income ( never got the income) so when tried to claim back the tax after showing the judges deliberation of write off told hard luck the original court orders stand. this is the fact of lifes. as been portraid above by posters.

you want to go abroad and see in the far east where children/families begging on the street and living on the street no income/help usually because one parent died no NHS service there etc. seen it myself patients on stretcher in the street no money to pay for treatment etc that is it , as you have been suggested go talk to the CT people also welfare officers @ citizens advise etc . good luck

Judgemental yes, but you know nothing about me. i get very angry when people expect not to have to pay anything towards because they only have £70.00 a week to live on. i am lucky some weeks to have £70.00 left to live on after paying for everything. Then agani we are of the generation we saved towards our old age, we did contribute to private pensions and both of us saw active service. When you read

 

Only having £73.10 to live off each week and a load of debt

people in my situation shouldn't be subjected to pay CT at all is when I get so angry. Why should I donate in goods and time to the Food Bank?

 

OP go down to the Council Office and speak to the CT Officer, there might be another way around this. If you go to the Food Bank have you spoken to the welfare advisor there?

That £73 is before paying any bills. Not after. That's the OP's complaint - he has £73.10 a week to live on and has to pay bills, food and some CT. In my area, you have to pay 20% of your bill, which works out at just over 2 weeks of basic JSA / ESA a year.

I do understand that this is what the OP meant. The Council is not a charity, maybe your local councillor might be able to intervene on your behalf tommy 456. If you rent from a Housing Association they have a Benefits/Welfare Officer who might be able to help

I do understand that this is what the OP meant. The Council is not a charity, maybe your local councillor might be able to intervene on your behalf tommy 456. If you rent from a Housing Association they have a Benefits/Welfare Officer who might be able to help

There used to be a thing called council tax benefit, So those out of work or too sick to work getting the basic low rate of benefit like me £73.10 per week did not have to pay , those who got a premium such as the equivalent of WRAG or SG would still be asked to pay a smaller amount each year towards the council tax, until the spineless Cameron cut the money paid to local councils , and it's always those most vulnerable who suffer

In previous years i have had these hardship payments and have not been still expected to pay during the period of the award which is 6 mths hence why imo the council are acting in a vindictive way knowing im am unable to afford a tax that i should have to pay,

Oh, and no i don't do drugs, don't smoke or drink so my money what little i have doesn't get wasted, but goes on GAS, Electric, Food, replacing clothes, footwear,& debts because i cannot live on the £73.10 per wk

What makes it even worse still is this is one building which was crudely converted into 2 flats why should the council be able to charge both occupiers full ct it's still only one building it should be 50% each the whole thing is a rip off

i shall be ringing them to complain privately rented, unable to get social housing around where i live

Where I come from the Council Tax (Council Rates) is set at the unimproved value of the land your house is built on, not the value of your house. This had to be paid in full on a certain date each year, if you were three years in arrears the Council could sell your house for the amount of tax owed, so some of us to prove a point would go to the Council Rate office at 3.55pm on the afternoon the payment was due and pay in the lowest denomination coinage we could. You paid the rates if you OWNED the house. if you rented, this tax was included in your rent, so your landlord/homeowner is the one responsible for paying this.

My father is 96, sitting in house were the land itself is now valued at more than the old house. he has to find the equivalent of £3.500 a year to pay his Council rates. oh included in this is the water used, you get so much for free and then pay excess water charges. hence everyone has installed rain water storage tanks. Sewerage is included in the council rates, completely different to over here. Dad has budget out of his Pension to pay his Rates. his pension is around the equivalent of £1000.00 a month. He does not get any other benefits whatsoever.

Where I come from the Council Tax (Council Rates) is set at the unimproved value of the land your house is built on, not the value of your house. This had to be paid in full on a certain date each year, if you were three years in arrears the Council could sell your house for the amount of tax owed, so some of us to prove a point would go to the Council Rate office at 3.55pm on the afternoon the payment was due and pay in the lowest denomination coinage we could. You paid the rates if you OWNED the house. if you rented, this tax was included in your rent, so your landlord/homeowner is the one responsible for paying this.

 

My father is 96, sitting in house were the land itself is now valued at more than the old house. he has to find the equivalent of £3.500 a year to pay his Council rates. oh included in this is the water used, you get so much for free and then pay excess water charges. hence everyone has installed rain water storage tanks. Sewerage is included in the council rates, completely different to over here. Dad has budget out of his Pension to pay his Rates. his pension is around the equivalent of £1000.00 a month. He does not get any other benefits whatsoever.

The flat( if it really could be described as such) occupies the smallest of the 3 sections the building is split up into, 2 flats and a lock up shop at the front, the council should not therefore be entitled to double the ct the rates system we used to have was a fair system

i have an award letter that says that my liability has been paid for 6 months, therefore, i should not be expected to pay anything until October

That is assuming that i do not apply again for another award just before then, and it isn't granted

You are under a misconception with that.

A council tax demand notice for this year will cover the period up to 31 March 2018 (unless a specific end date is known) however any charge which is due, after discounts/exemptions etc, will be split across the allowed number of instalments for the year - the instalments are not held or deferred.

For (a very simplified) example

In March 2017 you receive a demand for £1200 for the full upcoming year, against which you are granted a 6 month exemption from April 17 to Sep 17. This leaves £600 to pay.

Your standard 10 instalments will run from April 17 to Jan 18, each being £60.

They will not hold the demand until Sep 17 and then issue the notice for £600 - this would actually be worse in any case as you'd then have to pay £600 from Oct 17 to Jan 18, £120 per month.

Craig

The flat( if it really could be described as such) occupies the smallest of the 3 sections the building is split up into, 2 flats and a lock up shop at the front, the council should not therefore be entitled to double the ct the rates system we used to have was a fair system

The valuation office decide which property is banded, the council are legally required to issue a demand notice for the council tax charge. if you think it shouldn't be banded only the valuation office have the power to remove it from council tax.

You can also apply for a Section 13A discretionary relief (google it) to help with pa yment- this is in addition to any Council Tax Reduction, discounts or exemptions, and is appealable to a valuation tribunal.

Craig

The valuation office decide which property is banded, the council are legally required to issue a demand notice for the council tax charge. if you think it shouldn't be banded only the valuation office have the power to remove it from council tax.

 

You can also apply for a Section 13A discretionary relief (google it) to help with pa yment- this is in addition to any Council Tax Reduction, discounts or exemptions, and is appealable to a valuation tribunal.

 

Craig

on the conditions that my financial circumstances don't change, such as ESA being stopped or i where to have a significant windfall ect , then they revise the CT bill removing the awarded payments

i hope i have read this correctly. you have been awarded 50% of the CT bill. You expect to get the other 50% in six months, making it 100% of of the CT bill.

The council revised the bill in accordance with the 50% awarded, so you are now supposed to be paying half the payments, example £108 a month you are now expected to pay £54.00 a month for the duration of the council tax year.

You expected not to pay any council tax at all for the first six months and then make your first payment in six months time.

The system is NOT set up for this type of payment. They have to issue the reduced rate bills, the computer says so (no human intervention. They cannot be sure will get an award in six months to cancel out the last half of the tax year. What would happen if you DON't get that assessment? You will be left with a council tax bill still to pay at full rate for the final six months.

it is the way the system is set up, they have to issue a council tax bill. they cannot issue a NIL balance bill, because there is no surety that you will get the second award, si they have to issue for the year at a reduced rate. You now have to get proactive and speak to the tax office. if you miss two payments, they will issue proceedings in the Magistrates Court and all the other nasty stuff they are lawfully allowed to do.

I doubt if they can issue the council tax bill in two halves xero balance for the first six months and then what is owed for the remaining six months.

I can think of a way around this but it would be an accounting nightmare for the council tax office and they would not be able to do as everything is now computerised. There is no allowance for personal circumstances.

What they have done is offset the first six months payment for the year. the upside of this could be you manage to make the payments for six months, then they would have to refund you that six months payments when you get the second award for the year.

You do need to see a welfare advocate about this. I would be making an appointment with my local councillor and seeking intervention from there. If you were in the Services you could get help from the Association Welfare officer. I used to be the Welfare Officer for the local Naval Association branch. Have you spoken to the CAB?

that's what i have been awarded the max period paid by my local council is 6 months per application so in order to pay nothing i need to be awarded twice in any one year, that is part of the point i'm trying to make here, because my current award lasts until the end of September 2017 , therefore the remaining balance should only become payable by instalments commencing the following month (october2017), that i know is the normal procedure , but i were to be awarded another discretionary payment before then this would wipe the remaining balance, for the CT year

 

on the conditions that my financial circumstances don't change, such as ESA being stopped or i where to have a significant windfall ect , then they revise the CT bill removing the awarded payments

You misread what I posted.

The council tax charge is aggregated across the whole the year (or an earlier end date if definitely known, for example you were leaving the property) - any charges, discounts, exemptions etc for that period are rolled in to one calculation and the charge split for payment across the whole period. This calculation is then amended across the year as circumstances alter.

You will not be given any deferment in payment, the remaining charge for the whole year will become due immediately, in instalments. The only way you wouldn't be due to pay anything is if you were immediately given full reduction from the for the whole of the year.

Once the 6 month award period end is reached then you'd need to re-apply and they'd then recalculate the entire years charge at point - if you were then awarded a further 6 months worth of a full reduction you'd be refunded any charge you had paid only at tha point (or receive a revised notice if you didn't get a further 6 months covered in full).

This is the way the local authority have to apply the reduction and the calculation - they are required to under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regs 1992. The billing situation would be different under the regulations if it was an open ended award or any reduction without an end date but that doesn't apply in your particular case.

Craig

You misread what I posted.

 

The council tax charge is aggregated across the whole the year (or an earlier end date if definitely known, for example you were leaving the property) - any charges, discounts, exemptions etc for that period are rolled in to one calculation and the charge split for payment across the whole period. This calculation is then amended across the year as circumstances alter.

 

You will not be given any deferment in payment, the remaining charge for the whole year will become due immediately, in instalments. The only way you wouldn't be due to pay anything is if you were immediately given full reduction from the for the whole of the year.

 

Once the 6 month award period end is reached then you'd need to re-apply and they'd then recalculate the entire years charge at point - if you were then awarded a further 6 months worth of a full reduction you'd be refunded any charge you had paid only at tha point (or receive a revised notice if you didn't get a further 6 months covered in full).

 

This is the way the local authority have to apply the reduction and the calculation - they are required to under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regs 1992. The billing situation would be different under the regulations if it was an open ended award or any reduction without an end date but that doesn't apply in your particular case.

 

Craig

Update: I after requesting that they make the award for 12mths instead of 6mths i received notice that they have decided to make another award of 6mths for the remaining balance and that i owe them nothing unless my circumstances change