Council tax increase

[andygo]

I realise that iyt's not 'just' council tax thats in my latest Council Tax Notice, but last year I was paying £1,982. This year it's £2,292 for the year. Thats a 15% increase. Why doesn't this seem to be a matter of discussion? Whichever way it's carved up politically in the, it's quite a jump.

Am I missing something?

[Marumi]

It probably is/was a matter for discussion, if you read the council minutes for the various budget meetings.

There'll also be a breakdown somewhere where you can see what explicitly has changed.

[Seventy]

I thought council tax increases were capped at 5%?

[Monkeylegend]

Mine has gone up from £167 per month to £172.

With the £150 "refund" it has effectively gone down by £7.50 a month.

Until they claw back the refund at some stage.

[interstellar]

Mines gone up £4 a month in Dorset, mustn’t grumble

[Monkeylegend]

nuyorican said:

Council Tax is outrageous. Nearly £3K to grudgingly empty a bin occasionally...

It funds a bit more than that.

You are also actually paying your local bobbies wages amongst other things so you can tell them that when you get pulled over for speeding or something

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/homes/buying-a-h...

[jimmytheone]

nuyorican said:

Council Tax is outrageous. Nearly £3K to grudgingly empty a bin occasionally...

They now charge extra for the green/garden bin so round this way (Herts) they're charging more for less.

I thought the 5% cap was designed such that anything over 5% would require a local vote (?), hence most increases are 4.99%

[Monkeylegend]

jimmytheone said:

They now charge extra for the green/garden bin so round this way (Herts) they're charging more for less.

I thought the 5% cap was designed such that anything over 5% would require a local vote (?), hence most increases are 4.99%

They charge an optional £43 a year for our garden waste bin, I think that is excellent value for money compared to the time and cost of taking all our garden rubbish to the tip.

You don't have to pay for a brown bin if you don't want one.

[andygo]

There was a 7.4% increase in the fire service precept. Interestingly they have sold off the local fire station to build an old folks home.

[FunkyNige]

jimmytheone said:

nuyorican said:

Council Tax is outrageous. Nearly £3K to grudgingly empty a bin occasionally...

They now charge extra for the green/garden bin so round this way (Herts) they're charging more for less.

I thought the 5% cap was designed such that anything over 5% would require a local vote (?), hence most increases are 4.99%

I think that's the main council tax that's capped, things like adult social care precept don't have a limit.

Ours only went up 3% to £1981 (band D) which isn't bad considering we've got so many holiday homes around here.

[Shnozz]

Monkeylegend said:

nuyorican said:

Council Tax is outrageous. Nearly £3K to grudgingly empty a bin occasionally...

It funds a bit more than that.

My council tax in Spain per year amounts to about 2 months of my UK council tax, on a far bigger property. I can't see any additional services I benefit from in the UK. If anything, the tax abroad includes things such as fiestas and fireworks that the UK one doesn't. And lets not forget that the Spanish civil service is just as bloated and bureaucratic as the UK's, if not more, so its not even as though you could just argue inefficiency.

I cannot get around the staggering amounts paid for so little provided. And let's not forget that most of the reductions for vacant properties have been eroded in recent years, so even those empty houses who require no services are contributing to the pot.

[jmn]

About 3% increase for East Devon so not too bad.

[vaud]

3.2% overall here (Bradford)

I was expecting more.

[alock]

Monkeylegend said:

nuyorican said:

Council Tax is outrageous. Nearly £3K to grudgingly empty a bin occasionally...

It funds a bit more than that.

Lots of fat council pensions to pay for

[HRL]

jmn said:

About 3% increase for East Devon so not too bad.

£3.5K for us in bloody North Devon! The full fat 5% increase too.

[fat80b]

4.5% overall here in Cambridge. (Within that the council component was 4.99%)

Never fails to annoy me that it increases at basically the max limit every year. At least this time it is below inflation silver linings and all that

If I had my way, It'd be reducing in real terms at least. There must be so much waste in there....

[Saleen836]

Mine is going up by £42 for the year but factor in the £150 rebate i'm up on the deal

[crankedup5]

andygo said:

I realise that iyt's not 'just' council tax thats in my latest Council Tax Notice, but last year I was paying £1,982. This year it's £2,292 for the year. Thats a 15% increase. Why doesn't this seem to be a matter of discussion? Whichever way it's carved up politically in the, it's quite a jump.

Am I missing something?

I raised this very issue several weeks ago.

[Countdown]

Monkeylegend said:

They charge an optional £43 a year for our garden waste bin, I think that is excellent value for money compared to the time and cost of taking all our garden rubbish to the tip.

You don't have to pay for a brown bin if you don't want one.

I think it's £35/year here (and optional). We share with our neighbour - neither of us needs a full bin of garden waste taking every two week so we alternate.

IMHO charging extra for the garden waste bins is the right approach. those who use the service pay, those who don't need or want it don't pay for it.

[Johnnytheboy]

I like the fact I pay it with wages I've already been taxed on.

Mine's a few quid shy of £3,000.

The joy of owning a nice house on a fairly modest salary...