Forthcoming Council Tax benefit changes question!

[gazmix]

Hi

 

Is anyone aware of the new Council Tax benefit change that is getting underway in April 2013.

 

I have been told by my local Revenue & Benefits Customer liason & Finance Officer that when it comes into action, people claiming HB & CTB will have to pay a percentage of CTB out of their own money!

 

Does anyone know how much a single person on ESA & claiming HB & CTB have to pay & how much the benefit is in the 1st place!

 

Regards

 

Gaz

[Nystagmite]

It'll vary by council. Have you checked your council website?

[gazmix]

Yeh, i've looked all over there & did a search in the search box & nothing!! I guess they enjoy just springing things upon people when people have things in order, summat else crops up!!

[bcham]

yea bradford council are putting this threw,

and

if you have an extra bedroom you have to pay another £13 per week out of your £70,so you will not have enougth money left to live.

[gazmix]

I have only 1 bedroom, but was wondering if its a set amount for CTB for a 1 bed flat & how much of that will i pay!!

[debt4get]

it depends at the moment where you live, here in wales they still havent decided!!! in fact the senydd in cardiff are being recalled from their xmas break!!! our glorious leaders broke up for xmas a week or two ago without setting a budget for CT benefit....so here we still dont know how much people are going to be asked to contribute...

[debt4get]

further to your question..council tax is based on a banding system not on the number of bedrooms you have...you will have to check your councils website find out which band your flat is in....and then work out approx 10% of the rate charged per year..this is roughly what people are being asked to find....my ct is 88 quid a month!! band A which is the lowest band here....

[id6052]

which council collects your council tax?

[debt4get]

rhondda cynon taf

[id6052]

sorry debt4get,

 

i meant to ask that question to GAZMIX

[abc123def]

People in this thread are getting two different benefits and issues muddled. The OP was asking about the reduction in council tax that the Government has introduced, meaning people on certain benefits including means tested benefits will having to contribute towards their council tax instead of getting full council tax benefit. This is discretionary, and only gives each LA the powers to do this and to decide by how much they reduce the CTB. The government will be paying the LA's 10% less in CTB than claimants, but some councils may not ask for this reduction from the claimants and may reduce services elsewhere to cover the deficit, other councils may require the claimants to cover more than the 10% the government has reduced the benefit by. So as each LA will be different, a generic answer here cannot be given, you will need to find out from your LA what their plans are for you.

 

The other issue talked about in replies here is the reduction in housing benefit due to the bedroom tax if you have spare unused bedrooms. That is not what the OP was talking about and is a different benefit entirely and a different issue. The only point worth making is if you are affected by the bedroom tax and are having your housing benefit reduced, and are then affected by a reduction in council tax benefit you are going to be more severely affected financially by both these issues together.

[snowdragon]

it is unfair, myself and O/H for various reason have not shared a bed or bedroom for years, we had a letter from our HA telling us the tax will come into force in April, do you pay this even if you have a job and if you have your own home?

[Nystagmite]

The bedroom tax is for those claiming housing benefit.

[snowdragon]

I am not working at the moment Nystagmite despite looking for a job for nearly a year now. we get HB but not full as still have to pay rent same as council tax,, thank you

[gazmix]

I'm in the Sheffield area id6052..

[id6052]

http://www.lgcplus.com/finance/court-to-rule-on-council-tax-support-schemes/5054469.article

[gazmix]

I guess thats good aint it? Does it mean that in my area they were planning to hit hard?

[id6052]

it looks like they were planning a 20% cut for anybody who is not of pension age

[gazmix]

i rang my housing association & told them my situation & they said my only change would be that all benefits would become 1 in Universal credit.

 

Do you mean if 20% of what council & housing benefit i get will be cut!?

[id6052]

based upon sheffield's proposal, it appears your CTB will get cut by 20%