Council Tax

[emmie]

has anyone heard or read of proposals to cut the 25 percent council tax discount that single people get, as i can't find a direct link. It was reported on in my local paper, but not sure this is a firm proposal or it's being looked at.

[New Judge]

Councils do keep 100% of the council tax they receive, Khandro. You may be thinking of Business Rates (which are remitted in total to central government).

Just a glance at my local council’s balance sheet for last year shows income from council tax is £132m, central government funding is £425m. This means just 23% of their revenue comes from council tax and there is very little point in them sending the £132m to central government only to have it returned as part of the ££557m total. I imagine most other local authorities will show similar figures.

If you look about halfway down this document:

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/giving-local-authorities-more-control-over-how-they-spend-public-money-in-their-area--2

You will see:

Local authorities fund their activities from 3 main sources:
grants from central government
Council Tax
other locally generated fees and charges for services

No mention that they hand over their council tax receipts to have them handed back either in full or in part. There’s plenty of places you can have this confirmed.

[emmie]

just to add, i know it's late, or early, but according to the same source many millions are owed in uncollected council tax, so why don't the council collect it, and i do think it's extortionate, much more so that the hated poll tax. If they bring this in then see many more get well and truly into debt.

[ummmm]

What I find crazy is if a council doesn't spend their budget it gets reduced the next year.

You'll always see loads of roadworks going on towards the end of the tax year.

[emmie]

i honestly don't understand our council, nor indeed most, and the fact that if you are single, don't use as many of the so called services why are you expected to pay the same as a large household, seems patently unfair.
in this band it would mean a bill of 1,444 i believe -

[ummmm]

It does seem unfair hopefully they won't bring it in.

[emmie]

i think they will, seems those who have the least, if single then perhaps a student or pensioner, divorced, so those who have most to lose.

[ummmm]

It will end up costing them more taking people to court for unpaid bills.

[emmie]

seems that the less you get the more you pay,

[ummmm]

Not really. Just look at care home fees. People that have saved all their lives end up paying it back in the end.

[ummmm]

Although I do appreciate it's not the same as having money worries month to month.

[emmie]

that is what i meant, the more money you give to councils the less services you get in return. If our council tax is for libraries, police, fire service why are all those services being downgraded. I get very miffed when i see more jobs advertised at the council, more managers and non jobs, and massive at least to me salaries for the head honchos.

[Khandro]

New Judge; Cambridge City Council for example keeps only 11.6% of what it collects http://www.rtaylor.co.uk/where-council-tax-goes.html
The money is pushed around from council to central government and back again, it's all smoke and mirrors.

[New Judge]

The blanket statement made by Cambridge City Council (that they retain just 11.6% of the Council Tax they collect) is misleading. The remainder is distributed to such places as Parish Councils (which have no tax raising powers of their own) and used to pay for services such as fire and police. The 11% which the council says it retains is used by them for services provided directly by them. No funds are remitted to central government.

Of course all local authorities (and central government departments) must spend all their allocation. They see spending other people’s cash as a measure of their success and are terrified of being allocated less cash the following year. A friend of mine worked in an office for a local authority. In March a couple of years ago there was a surplus of cash in his department so they bought every member of staff an overcoat and weather proof boots “in case they have to go out on business” (when in fact 95% of them never do). Absolutely scandalous.

[emmie]

i have a friend who works for our council, and believe me the stories would turn your hair grey, if it wasn't that colour already of course..

[kloofnek]

I wonder sometimes just why we pay council tax as the services mine gives is getting less and less.
the latest being...my bin is only emptied every fortnight now!!!
And it seems to fill up quicker than it did before...

God knows what they will cut back on next.