£150 Council Tax Rebate

racyguy

I now pay full Council Tax due to the loss of the GPC. I pay as and when with what I can afford.
Reading about how it is to be paid next month. I don't have a direct debit with the Council and now have Council Tax arrears.
I read that the council are being allowed to use the £150 to reduce my current arrears
Is that right? I thought that I had heard that they would not be allowed to do that.

poppy123456

I can't find an answer to your question, despite looking. If there's one bill you should always make sure you pay is your council tax. Would it be such a bad thing if they used the £150 to reduce your arrears?

calcotti

racyguy said:

I now pay full Council Tax due to the loss of the GPC. 

Losing GPC would not of itself mean that you have no entitlement to CTR, only that you are no longer automatically entitled to full CTR. Has your local authority assessed your entitlement based on your finances?

racyguy

woodbine said:

@racyguy thats an interesting point I suppose only the council can give you a definitive answer, personally I would have thought you should get the £150, but as poppy rightly says CT is the one bill you should always pay.

I would if I could. With a bill of over £2000 (£220 a month) to pay for the full year there is only so much I can do with a reduced income by £50 a week plus I had to pay the TV licence.

racyguy

calcotti said:

racyguy said:

I now pay full Council Tax due to the loss of the GPC. 

Losing GPC would not of itself mean that you have no entitlement to CTR, only that you are no longer automatically entitled to full CTR. Has your local authority assessed your entitlement based on your finances?

No, there has been no assessment carried out by the council. Presumably they will want me to supply all of the same information that the Pension Service wanted? I'm not in a fit state to gather all of that info, if I was then I would have sent it to the DWP in the first place.

poppy123456

Means tested benefits aren’t just given on a plate. You have to go through the same process as everyone else. 

If you had sent pension credit what they asked for there wouldn’t have been any need to cancel the claim. 

calcotti

I hadn’t made the connection with the other threads about OP’s PC.

racyguy

poppy123456 said:

Means tested benefits aren’t just given on a plate. You have to go through the same process as everyone else. 

If you had sent pension credit what they asked for there wouldn’t have been any need to cancel the claim. 

I know that they aren't and would not expect them to be. If it was the case that everybody was claiming all that they are entitled to then I would appear to be the only one that isn't.
The major problem I am finding is that it is assumed by the government that everybody is healthy and mentally alert. Unfortunately not everyone including myself fits that mold.

In fact according to a recent survey by Turn to Us there are nine major benefits that total annually £15bn of unclaimed benefits. The top one is Council Tax Support with close to 3m people representing £2.8bn annually not making a claim. No.3 is Pension Credit with just under 1m people not making a claim representing £1.8bn annually. 

The process for both of these benefits together with the ongoing responsibilities is arduous & long winded and if you dare to fail to take on board all of those responsibilities you will be fined or prosecuted - I have been informed by the Pension Service that if there is any change in the level of income previously disclosed on a weekly basis even if it is only 1p difference you will be investigated.

There are many who have difficulties - mentally, physically etc - who cannot face the claiming process never mind the ongoing responsibilities.    

racyguy

woodbine said:

It's quite simple really, when I worked for a living I made sure I understood how the PAYE system worked, when I had to stop working I made sure I understood how the benefits system worked and if the then DHSS and now DWP say jump my response is how high ?

Brilliant - I'm all right Jack!
You may well have understood all of the elements of PAYE and benefits. I used to probably understand them better than you did as when working for the Inland Revenue as a Tax Officer back in the early 60's. Now it's a different kettle of fish. My abilities are so reduced that I find the smallest of activity both mentally and physically impossible. 

racyguy

I decided to telephone my council about this £150. They quoted that it was up to them how they paid it for those that don't have a DD in place. So the answer is that I have no option how it gets to me - my council is taking the view that for those with no DD they are more likely to deduct it from the CT liability or to reduce any CT debt. This is what they referred me to in their pamphlet:

"As part of the claims process, councils can choose whether to offer £150 credit to an eligible household’s council tax account as a payment option."

racyguy

woodbine said:

racyguy said:

I decided to telephone my council about this £150. They quoted that it was up to them how they paid it for those that don't have a DD in place. So the answer is that I have no option how it gets to me - my council is taking the view that for those with no DD they are more likely to deduct it from the CT liability or to reduce any CT debt. This is what they referred me to in their pamphlet:

"As part of the claims process, councils can choose whether to offer £150 credit to an eligible household’s council tax account as a payment option."

I agree that if people have CT debt the £150 should be used to repay some of that.

That is not what the money is for.

janer1967

The way I see it if somebody owed you money eg in debt to you and they got an extra bonus would you not be upset if they didnt pay you back what they owed you 

Councils only have budget resources and everyone has to pay more to offset those who don't pay 

I agree the payment in question is intended to help towards increased energy cost and it is easy for the councils to pay this to people who pay by direct debit. To pay it any other way other than reduce the bill would cost the council money to administer.  Another cost to the council that is unlikely to have been budget for prior to setting council tax bills 

racyguy

janer1967 said:

The way I see it if somebody owed you money eg in debt to you and they got an extra bonus would you not be upset if they didnt pay you back what they owed you 

Councils only have budget resources and everyone has to pay more to offset those who don't pay 

I agree the payment in question is intended to help towards increased energy cost and it is easy for the councils to pay this to people who pay by direct debit. To pay it any other way other than reduce the bill would cost the council money to administer.  Another cost to the council that is unlikely to have been budget for prior to setting council tax bills 

Happens all of the time. Be happy? No but what could I do? If I had received every penny from people that have and still do owe me money I would have enough to spend on a round the world cruise with my wife on a Cunard liner. Being pragmatic, and like most people, they accept what has happened and move on. 
I have never said that I will not pay my CT. It's just that with the loss of various benefits recently and the costs of gas & electricity + the ever increasing cost of food, I pay the Council every month what I can afford. I don't have any long standing arrears as such just what the balance outstanding is from January 2022.

The cost of making these payments is being settled by National Government.

Tori_Scope

It seems as though there's a bit of confusion around this, and that different councils might be saying different things.

This gov.uk factsheet says:

If you live in an eligible property and you pay your council tax by direct debit, your local council will make the payment directly to your bank account, starting from April 2022. You do not need to do anything in the meantime.

If you live in an eligible property and you do not pay your council tax by direct debit, your local council will contact you from April to arrange a method for paying the rebate. You do not need to do anything in the meantime.

The rebate will be provided as a separate payment, rather than as part of your council tax bill.

Where a household is eligible for the rebate and their local council does not already hold payment details as a result of a direct debit instruction, they may offer the option to receive the payment as a council tax account credit.

This gov.uk publication also says the following:

Where a council does not hold live direct debit instructions for an eligible household

23. Where a council does not hold live direct debit instructions for an eligible household, the government expects them to make all reasonable efforts to contact the household as early as possible to make them aware of the scheme and invite them to make a claim.

24. Councils can determine an appropriate claims method locally, considering the software solutions available to them, but should include an option for residents who are digitally excluded, for example assisted applications by phone. Payment methods other than BACS are acceptable, but all payments within scope of the reconciliation process should be made by 30 September 2022. As part of the claims process, councils can choose whether to offer £150 credit to an eligible household’s council tax account as a payment option.

25. Councils should ask the claimant to self-certify that they are (or would be in the case of exempt property) a liable taxpayer, that they meet the eligibility criteria at paragraph 11, and that are claiming on behalf of the household. In doing so, councils can refer taxpayers to their powers under section 3(1)(c) of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 to request information for the purposes of identifying the liable taxpayer.

If you're not sure whether the payment should be taken off of your existing arrears @racyguy, it'd be worth seeking expert advice on this. You can use advicelocal.uk to find expert advice near you.

My abilities are so reduced that I find the smallest of activity both mentally and physically impossible. 

It sounds as though things are quite difficult for you at the moment @racyguy. Are you receiving enough support to help you manage your conditions, and daily life, at the moment? 

The cost of living crisis is certainly worrying for a lot of people, and is making life even more challenging. If you need to get things off of your chest, we're here for you  

racyguy

Many thanks, you have highlighted the exact problem.

My council have decided that the gov.uk publication takes priority over the factsheet.

(a) councils can choose whether to offer £150 credit to an eligible household’s council tax account as a payment option.

(b) they may offer the option to receive the payment as a council tax account credit.

With (a) the publication, it seems that it is the Council who can choose how it wants to pay the money. The householder seems to have no say in the matter.
Whereas with (b) the factsheet, the council could offer the option to have it set against the CT liability.

I suppose I will have to wait and see later down the line what they will actually do.

Medication and support from the NHS is as good as I can except it to be - not brilliant but everyone is in the same boat - no face to face GP appointments and if I am really lucky I may get a telephone consultation. Hospital issues are bad due to the extremely long waiting lists. As an example my consultant on the 26th Jan wrote to my GP requesting I have a scan as he thinks that cancer may be an issue. My appointment at the hospital for this scan is on Thursday 13th April.
As for daily life, thankfully that between my wife and I  we muddle through everything. We fear for our financial future but so do 1,000's of other pensioners. What will be will be especially paying for gas and electricity along with food.

racyguy

woodbine said:

Re the £150 I checked my councils website and they are it would seem taking it off debts where people are in debt.

I have had 3 cancer scares since the first lockdown and in each case I was seen by a GP with 3 days (in one case an hour after phoning) and saw a consultant within 9 days, luckily non of the 3 cases were cancer although one did need a minor op on the day and another 2 weeks later.

I agree that rising prices are a massive problem  but not just for pensioners who if we are honest have had a better deal than most of the last 11 years, but they are also a problem for those on benefits and the "working poor"

Personally I give up. I don't particularly care now what they do - it's out of my hands, they will do what they will do.
You are extremely lucky with the NHS and how it works for you. The only reason I am getting this scan now is that the consultant wrote a second time to the GP some 3 weeks ago demanding that he wants the scan doing like yesterday. He only found out during a telephone consultation with me 3 weeks ago enquiring if the scan had been carried out. Seems that the GP practice had mislaid the original January request.

calcotti

In my experience where a consultant is involved it’s the consultant that requests a scan, not the GP. Must differ depending on where you are.

poppy123456

Mainline1 said:

Hi lm in Scotland and lm not in arrears with my council tax but the £150 deducted from my new years bill

In Scotland they will either tax it off your council tax bill or pay it directly to the person into their bank. Details in link. https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-government-finance-circular-2-2022-guidance-to-local-authorities-april-2022-cost-of-living-award/

Remote

Does anyone know why it’s only offered for those in council tax bands a-d? Are those of us in the other bands not also struggling with cost of living??? 

I don’t know what scans have to do with anything but my GP can request scans and does. Had an X-ray of my hips and pelvis, an echocardiogram, and a CT of my head all referred by my gp for various things. Maybe it depends what it’s for?? Or like different hospital trusts?

racyguy

poppy123456 said:

Mainline1 said:

Hi lm in Scotland and lm not in arrears with my council tax but the £150 deducted from my new years bill

In Scotland they will either tax it off your council tax bill or pay it directly to the person into their bank. Details in link. https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-government-finance-circular-2-2022-guidance-to-local-authorities-april-2022-cost-of-living-award/

Scotland seems to agree with what my council are intending to do - credit the CT account with the £150.
Householders are not being given the option to have it paid to them for their fuel costs

poppy123456

I was very surprised this morning when i checked my bank to see the £150 rebate was there.