Council Tax benefit to be replaced by Tax Support

[tizmeinnit]

with a 10 % cut in money available

Yet again the poor get hit so they can claw back a few measly quid whilst the mega bucks lost through tax loop holes gets ignored

The poor get poorer while the rich get richer


Crime rates will sky rocket . I bet this Christmas sees the start of it

[Chris]

Linky?

[RichardCoulter]

You're correct, legislation is to be put through Parliament to abolish the national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme.

The scheme started on 1/4/93 and will end after exactly twenty years on 31/3/13.

The total amount spent on the national scheme will be cut by 10% and handed to local authorities to do with as they please, apart from a legal obligation not to cut help given to pensioners.

Any Local Authority that fails to create it's own local scheme in time will be forced to accept the Governments default scheme.

My research into this suggests that:

- Help can be called different things by each Local Authority.

- It is likely that most authorities will scrap Second Adult Rebate.

- Apart from pensioners, the average person will have to pay between 25/30% extra on top of what they pay now and the usual April increase in the Council Tax. This includes those currently on a 100% rebate.

- Some authorities will attempt to give more help to war pensioners and only the SEVERELY disabled.

- The circumstances of a localised area may change midway through the financial year eg a flood or mass redundancies from a large employer.

As no further help would be available from Central Government, this would mean that all those in receipt of Council Tax relief would have their claims reassessed and receive even less help, to pay for these changes in an areas circumstances.

- If the Council Tax demanded is not paid in full, it is one of the few debts that a person can still go to prison for.

I was part of an advisory panel that advised the Government on welfare reform after the last election.

We all agreed that there is no option other than to reduce the benefits bill in the interests of austerity, fairness and to reduce worklessness (which has persisted throughout generations of some families, contributing to the underclass culture.)

CTB was never under discussion, it was assumed that help would be part of the Universal Credit that will be taking over from most means tested benefits in the future.

I don't think that this has been thought out properly and that there will be financial and social implications for society, particularly the disabled, their carers and some other people who are poor through no fault of their own.

[v0id]

Originally Posted by Chris

Linky?

Maybe they mean this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15280151

[tizmeinnit]

Originally Posted by Chris

Linky?

could scan the letter I received this morning off my local council if you want? lol Small articles if googled no major press releases

---------- Post added at 12:00 ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 ----------

http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/living/26349.html

letter attached for anyone who may think I have reason to make things up

[Kymmy]

Here's the official leaflet relating to the consultation of the change

http://www.communities.gov.uk/docume...f/19510253.pdf

[tizmeinnit]

well its obviously been passed without much press on the subject

[nomadking]

It is the central government contribution that is being cut by 10%, therefore it is NOT 10% of total council income being affected. How the councils deal with that, is up to them. They could always do things like, cut back on the spending, increase council tax where there are more than 2 in a house.

[tizmeinnit]

The letter to me makes it perfectly clear that those of working age will lose out

the increasing council tax when more than 2 in a house sounds scarily like the beginnings of a new poll tax

[nomadking]

Strictly speaking the letter says "It is likely ,,, will", That is not a definite "will".
The letter is merely informing you about the consultation process.

The money will have to be raised locally, rather than from national budgets. It's called local democracy and accountability. How each local authority deals with it, is up to them and therefore in turn, the electorate that pays the council tax.

If 6 adults live in a house, should they pay the same as 2 adults living in a house next door?

[tizmeinnit]

Originally Posted by nomadking

Strictly speaking the letter says "It is likely ,,, will", That is not a definite "will".
The letter is merely informing you about the consultation process.

The money will have to be raised locally, rather than from national budgets. It's called local democracy and accountability. How each local authority deals with it, is up to them and therefore in turn, the electorate that pays the council tax.

If 6 adults live in a house, should they pay the same as 2 adults living in a house next door?

only a very nieve man would think that when getting a letter of this type that "likely" does not mean "will"

---------- Post added at 16:23 ---------- Previous post was at 16:21 ----------

Originally Posted by nomadking

Strictly speaking the letter says "It is likely ,,, will", That is not a definite "will".
The letter is merely informing you about the consultation process.

The money will have to be raised locally, rather than from national budgets. It's called local democracy and accountability. How each local authority deals with it, is up to them and therefore in turn, the electorate that pays the council tax.

If 6 adults live in a house, should they pay the same as 2 adults living in a house next door?

but that is to similar to the Poll Tax and look at what happened to that

[RichardCoulter]

As I said earlier, it has not yet been passed by Parliament, though, in the real world it almost certainly will be.

What councils are doing now is consulting on their possible options to deal with this, in order that their new local scheme is ready for next April.

If they don't do this quickly, they may find that the Government imposes their default scheme upon them.

One thing is for sure, when increased bills start landing on peoples mats, they will blame their Local Authority and not central Government.

It is not about localisation at all, but about shifting the blame away from ministers and onto Local Authorities.

I hate subterfuge and this is a very underneath thing to do in my opinion.

[Taf]

"Non dependants" (e.g. your own kids once they grow up) already pay a chunk of council rent if they receive ESA and live with you. So I expect them to get Community Charge bills for next year. The ammount of rent they pay is already set to rise AFAIK.

Oddly, if the parents live with their kids (i.e. the kids are the council renters), there is no bill to pay.

[RichardCoulter]

Non dependant deductions (for help towards rent and council tax) are made according to the size and type of income of the said non dependants and nothing else.

AFAIK most councils will keep this as it is now.