Council Tax - Tit for Tat?

[impecunious]

Despite the fact that I'd calculated I'd paid ALL my council tax liability for 2012-13, I still kept receiving demands for council tax which I queried by e-mail and phone, then duly paid in Feb and March. Obviously this was a lot of money to find from my fortnightly JSA payment and, at that time, neither my HB or CT Benefit claims had been processed.

 

Earlier this week, I received a letter from CT Dept stating that my acount for 2012-13 was in credit by over £220.00. Unbelievable! Even more unbelievable was that I immediately e-mailed them and asked to be refunded, either by bank transfer or cheque within 7 days, and received a letter 3 days later to advised that "due to high workloads, it may take up to 4 weeks for your request to be processed".

 

Surely, their time would have been better spent doing the bank transfer instead of writing to me.

 

This month's CT payment is currently overdue. When I'm sent my reminder, should I just advise them that "due to high workloads, it may take up to 4 weeks for your request to be processed"?

 

Don't think so somehow! What's good for the goose, should be good for the gander!

 

 

Impecunious! (just ranting)

[Mr.P]

This month's CT payment is currently overdue. When I'm sent my reminder, should I just advise them that "due to high workloads, it may take up to 4 weeks for your request to be processed"?

 

Don't think they'll buy the high workloads, so I'd be inclined to go for a due to a slump in economic turnover and staff reductions

[jasta11]

Strange how in this age of 'computerised everything' any payments or refunds seem to take far longer...especially the refunds!

 

It's the council's policy to keep any over-payments for as long as they can; my own father is £34 in credit and he doesn't mind leaving it with them, but they've never suggested refunding the money to him at any point.

 

Same with paying estimated utility bills too; if it turns out you're in credit they never offer to immediately refund you - and why should they when your money is sitting in their account earning them interest; admittedly on a neglible scale for one person but if they do this with a few hundred thousand other people then the interest becomes tangible.

 

If I go to my local newsagent and buy a Mars bar and give him a fiver, I expect my change immediately and not 'Oh, I'll hang on to your change for future purchases as you're in here all the time'.

 

I used the 'what's good for the goose' approach when dealing with my phone supplier; after getting sick of talking to overseas operators on the phone, I sent a written enquiry to their head office in England...adding at the bottom I'd be deducting £4.50 admin costs for this letter from my next bill (as they do). I got away with it too - they asked for the money, I threatened to close my account entirely and they let it pass

[impecunious]

Cheque arrived in lunch-time's post and for slightly more than they originally advised. So, in the spirit of goodwill, I have sent them a "thank you " e-mail. Would be churlish not to, especially when I haven't had to wait for up to 4 weeks. They must have found a quiet minute to write out the cheque.

 

BUT, I absolutely agree that MY Council Tax overpayment is better off in MY pocket rather than being a credit balance in THEIR account. In fact, no utility company or LA should just hold credit balances for us ... I would always and DO always request an immediate refund.

 

Rant over ........... if it's not one thing, it's another.

 

Cheers guys!

 

Impecunious!

[Mr.P]

Methinks there may be a sozzled Impecunious tonight

[impecunious]

A sozzled Impecunious!! That would indeed be a novelty - I'm tee-total

What a morning!!! Had a bailiff try to serve court papers on me earlier ... I was still in bed .... sicky, sore tummy .... not nice so, didn't even bother to get out of bed to answer the door (didn't know then who it was and didn't care).

 

Had an ATEO in place for years for past overpayment of HB for just a pittance -- £5/month and I also paid an additional voluntary £5/month as well as a gesture of goodwill. (I'm far too good I know.) As soon as I had the funds available, I paid it all off voluntarily - over £700 - 10 years earlier than planned! That was about over six months ago now. I was feeling very virtuous!

 

But stupid council couldn't add up and after I'd paid the full amount, they advised me that I still had another £65 to pay -- they'd forgotten to add it on. By then I was unemployed, so I told them to deduct it from my current HB. BUT, as it took the council 3 months to sort out my HB/CT claim, the £65 was still outstanding ... still with me?? (The council owed me £1,500+ and I owed them £65.00)

 

The council took the claim back to court again!!! (Despite the fact that deductions have been made from my current HB to cover this £65 overpayment since the middle of last month!) Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! Unbelievable is the order of the day!

 

So, I've just spent the last couple of hours emailing court and council trying to sort it out. Apparently, letters must have crossed in the post and the ATEO is being withdrawn. (ATEO isn't any good if you're unemployed!)

 

I can just see the disbelief on the bailiff's face if/when she comes back to serve court papers and I tell her that little story. Methinks, I'll just not bother answering the door.

 

No wonder I'm going grey!! At times like this I really do wish I did drink ............. perhaps a valium in a darkened room will help! Soz, No valium, so perhaps a box of Belgium sea-shell choccies and put my feet up an watch tv.

 

And to top it all, I missed my morning appointment at JCP with Blue Orchid. OOOPs! Things always come in 3s.

 

Impecunious!

[osdset]

British gas are holding on to overpayments to 'offset' winter bills my partner was informed last week.

[impecunious]

British gas are holding on to overpayments to 'offset' winter bills my partner was informed last week.

 

I think I would inform British Gas otherwise

 

Impecunious!

[jasta11]

British gas are holding on to overpayments to 'offset' winter bills my partner was informed last week.

 

'Theft'. Pure and simple. The problem is though, they do it because people let them! (same reason cafes can charge £3 for a cup of coffee; people pay it). Needs everyone to start action to get their money back.

 

'Belgian sea-shell choccies'??? To the guillotine with these aristos!

[Mr.P]

'Belgian sea-shell choccies'???

http://www.digbyschocolates.co.uk

[impecunious]

'Theft'. Pure and simple. The problem is though, they do it because people let them! (same reason cafes can charge £3 for a cup of coffee; people pay it). Needs everyone to start action to get their money back.

 

'Belgian sea-shell choccies'??? To the guillotine with these aristos!

 

From Approved Foods jasta Means I can still indulge my aristocratic tastes at JSA prices!!

 

Imp!

[impecunious]

http://www.digbyschocolates.co.uk

 

 

Chocolate lover's fantasy!! Yummmy!

 

Imp

[jasta11]

Cor..what a website! But eat them s-l-o-w-l-y at those prices. We have an ultra-chic choccy shop in my town and you can blag lots of free samples if you look like you're going to buy something (I'm quite good at looking like I have money, even if I haven't).

 

If I'm having a night in town, I often pop in for a choc before going into Boots/House Of Fraser/Fenwicks and drowning myself in the expensive aftershaves from the testers. Actually, some of the chocolate is so strong, it could pass for aftershave! (CoCo Chanel - with real cocoa)

[signmaker]

I think I would inform British Gas otherwise

 

Impecunious!

 

Fed up of British Gas sending me estimated bills and asking me to read their meter and send it back to them, I wrote and informed them that as I do not work for British Gas therfore not getting paid to do their job, I would charge them £10.00 to read the meter for them, guess what they sent 2 meter readers in the same week to read the meter. Result:whoo:

[jasta11]

Good for you! Our job is only to pay the bills (as long as they're correct). My phone company knows I'll deduct £4.50 admin costs from my bill every time I have to write to them, same as they'd do to me.

[Mr.P]

Chocolate lover's fantasy!! Yummmy!

 

Fantasy no more.. Finished a small box from there, slowly working through the bag of pick'n'mix along side the Thorntons selection.

 

Me is going to to be a fat grumpy b'stard by the end of the month

[impecunious]

Fantasy no more.. Finished a small box from there, slowly working through the bag of pick'n'mix along side the Thorntons selection.

 

Me is going to to be a fat grumpy b'stard by the end of the month

 

 

I thought you were always a grumpy b'stard!

 

Imp