Council Tax Benefit Cuts .. non-payment campaign?

[Frankie Jack]

Exclusive: Local authorities set to cut council tax support to poor by a fifth
False Economy.

Our research shows that the overwhelming majority of councils plan to reduce support for low incomes households by an average of 20 per cent in order to accommodate central government cuts.
Other key findings include:

• Most councils will not be able to protect disabled people, lone parents with young children, or other vulnerable groups from the impact of the cuts.
• Eight councils are targeting parents for specific cuts by including income from child benefit and child maintenance when considering who is eligible for council tax support.
• South Cambridgeshire District Council is considering halving payments to all its unemployed working age residents, while Brentwood Borough Council plans to axe all council tax support to people under 25.
• Councils are predicting that many claimants will find their council tax bills rocketing by hundreds of pounds.

Many councils – including Conservative-run local authorities – have already written to the government urging ministers to rethink the cuts.​

 

[treelover]

South Cambridgeshire District Council is considering halving payments to all its unemployed working age residents,

Would this mean they would have to pay half the council tax bill,

on 70 pounds a week?

 

[Frankie Jack]

Would this mean they would have to pay half the council tax bill,

on 70 pounds a week?

Probably. Along with the £14pw Bedroom tax if they have an extra room and the reduction in housing benefit too.

 

[treelover]

It's impossible and they know it, they want people to go to charities, etc...

 

[Frances Lengel]

Manchester council have already said everyone except OAPs will have to pay at least 15%. Thing with council tax is that if you don't pay you will get locked up - And still be liable. Paying as late as possible in order to cause admin hassle might be an idea.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I didn't pay my Poll Tax/Council Tax for years because the council were so incompetent. They caught up in the end though and I ended up having to pay nearly £2,000 back when I was flooded with bills. Not something I'd wish for again

 

[BigTom]

Would this mean they would have to pay half the council tax bill,

on 70 pounds a week?

yes it does.

Pensioners are excluded from cuts by central govt. Birmingham council have said their preferred option is a 20% cut for everyone (average £224/year or ~£4/week) except disabled people and families parents with children under 6.

 

[audiotech]

I ended up in court, as did thousands of others for non-payment of the poll tax. It was complete chaos and at the time laughable to see the powers at be in total disarray. People who you would never have thought would get involved did. A campaign group sprang up and we leafleted the whole local area, organised meetings (biggest local meeting ever). It was non-payment that put the nail in the coffin and the huge demo in London that buried it.

The problem here and now is how they will deliver these cuts. They've already set the scene for those on benefits and the disabled. Their salami tactics may deliver this time, but that's not guaranteed.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I ended up in court, as did thousands of others for non-payment of the poll tax. It was complete chaos and at the time laughable to see the powers at be in total disarray. People who you would never have thought would get involved did. A campaign group sprang up and we leafleted the whole local area, organised meetings (biggest local meeting ever). It was non-payment that put the nail in the coffin and the huge demo in London that buried it.

The problem here and now is how they will deliver these cuts. They've already set the scene for those on benefits and the disabled. Their salami tactics may deliver this time, but that's not guaranteed.

I got loads of letters off bailiffs before I decided to bite the bullet and start paying it off.

 

[ViolentPanda]

yes it does.

Pensioners are excluded from cuts by central govt. Birmingham council have said their preferred option is a 20% cut for everyone (average £224/year or ~£4/week) except disabled people and families parents with children under 6.

I'm suspecting that "disabled people" will follow blue badge lines - you're only worthy if you get the full whack of mobility-related and/or care-related DLA.

 

[Jackobi]

Probably. Along with the £14pw Bedroom tax if they have an extra room and the reduction in housing benefit too.

Bedroom tax is a 14% reduction in housing benefit for one 'spare' room, so could be more or less than £14 depending on the amount of weekly rent due.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Bedroom tax is a 14% reduction in housing benefit for one 'spare' room, so could be more or less than £14 depending on the amount of weekly rent due.

14%? I thought it was £14?

 

[Frances Lengel]

Nah, it definitely is 14%. Round my way the council (well the ALMO) have already sent out leaflets explaining how much it works out as - About £10 for one spare room here.

 

[Frances Lengel]

Here we go...

www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/bedroom_tax.aspx

The cut will be a fixed percentage of the Housing Benefit eligible rent. The Government has said that this will be set at 14% for one extra bedroom and 25% for two or more extra bedrooms.



The Government’s impact assessment shows that those affected will lose an average of £14 a week. Housing association tenants are expected to lose £16 a week on average.

Fuck knows why there wasn't more of an outcry about this.

 

[audiotech]

Here we go...

www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/bedroom_tax.aspx



Fuck knows why there wasn't more of an outcry about this.

We're all scrounging scum, who get hand-outs and live in mansions. Hang-on, that's the tory front bench.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Here we go...

www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/bedroom_tax.aspx



Fuck knows why there wasn't more of an outcry about this.

Why will HA tenants have to pay more?

 

[Frances Lengel]

Why will HA tenants have to pay more?

HA rents tend to be higher than council. 14% of £80pw is going to work out as more than 14% of £65 pw.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

HA rents tend to be higher than council. 14% of £80pw is going to work out as more than 14% of £65 pw.

Oh right, silly me

 

[Frankie Jack]

Here we go...

www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/bedroom_tax.aspx



Fuck knows why there wasn't more of an outcry about this.

Thanks for that link. Most of us, I believe, were going by Lord Frauds statements saying it would be £14 for one extra bedroom and £25 for two extra rather than an average payment.

 

[weepiper]

• Eight councils are targeting parents for specific cuts by including income from child benefit and child maintenance when considering who is eligible for council tax support.
• South Cambridgeshire District Council is considering halving payments to all its unemployed working age residents, while Brentwood Borough Council plans to axe all council tax support to people under 25.

cunts.

 

[BigTom]

I actually think this could work, but as a localised campaign. They've done this to stitch up boroughs and it effectively amounts to a cut in LA funding - the fight will be with local councils to socialize, or tax the rich more to make up the shortfall. in areas with high numbers of claimants a none payment campaign could gain traction, particularly as there is likely to be a virulent and entirely non-political non payment campaign taking place at the same time.

Some LAs are talking about charging claimants £2/3 quid a week, this will be impossible to enforce in practice and will probably unravel even without any kind of campaign. Just the threat would be useful now, I'd say speaking to the various claimant groups that exist or have emerged might be the best starting point.

I want to bring this back up - council tax is localised, both charging and collection so I think smokedout is right here - this could work on a local level.. my question is where is there that has (a) a large enough % of CB claimants & people closely connected to CB claimants, and preferably with an existing network, community or political to build from and (b) how would anyone go about organising such a campaign?
I can't see it happening in Birmingham - we're the largest council in the UK (and I think in the EU) and there's fuck all in terms of claimant network or substantial left political grouping here..

I'm wondering about somewhere in London, though I don't know how the councils actually fall.. Hackney? Brixton? or Edinburgh simply because ECAP seem pretty active?

Get one campaign going against a particular council and others might also get moving.

Does anyone know how much it costs a council to prosecute someone for council tax arrears? I might make an FoI request to Birmingham to find out.

 

[thriller]

Didn't boris johnson say he was going to cut council tax or reduce it or something?

 

[purenarcotic]

Has everyone here made sure they're in the right banding?

Because of the arbitrary way CT bands were decided (people from the council driving by in a car and giving houses bands randomly as they drove past a house) lots of people have been placed in too high a band. If you apply to the council to get your band checked, there's the potential to receive thousands of pounds if your band was too high. They not only reduce the CT for you to what it should be but pay back the difference for however many years you've been living at the property.

Martin Lewis realised this and it's caused a nightmare for councils as they've had to give massive payouts. moneysavingexpert.com must be the most ugly website I've ever seen but all the info should be on there.

 

[purenarcotic]

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change - here's the direct link for folk.

Obviously protesting the cuts is needed, but in the mean time at least this might save some of you some dosh.

 

[ViolentPanda]

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change - here's the direct link for folk.

Obviously protesting the cuts is needed, but in the mean time at least this might save some of you some dosh.

...and occupy idle minds at the council.

 

[purenarcotic]

...and occupy idle minds at the council.

They gotta earn their way somehow. And what better way than potentially giving you a nice fat cheque.

 

[ViolentPanda]

They gotta earn their way somehow. And what better way than potentially giving you a nice fat cheque.

I was thinking more of the councillors getting in a tizz about their budgets being knocked out of whack, and actually having to earn those salaries they get, than the office workers, tbf.

 

[Termite Man]

I'd pay £2.50* a week extra so people who really fucking need the money to live don't get fucked over.


*or however much it is.

Maybe they should means test the single person discount, I'd probably lose mine but it would be fair

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I'd pay £2.50* a week extra so people who really fucking need the money to live don't get fucked over.


*or however much it is.

Maybe they should means test the single person discount, I'd probably lose mine but it would be fair

That's very nice of you

 

[Termite Man]

It fucks me off when people go on about benefit scroungers etc. all they are trying to do is hide their cuntishness by tarring a majority wih the actions of the minority. Maybe Cameron would have more success with his big society if he didn't encourage people to be selfish cunts with his rhetoric