Council tax +15% - any way this can be appealed?
Council tax +15% - any way this can be appealed?
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Discussion

kiethton

Original Poster:

14,275 posts

196 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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Just had notice that my council tax is going up by a staggering 15%, 10ppt more than most - agreed by "special permission"

We already pay nearly £3.3k a year so this is a £500pa increase before the pointless GLA puts through his ridiculous hike. We've already had our attempts to lower our mis-banded house pushed back and i stupidly let an appeal time out when work got busy so think we're limited there.

For the (lack of ) service provided this is totally unreasonable and we have not been consulted. Any way to appeal this/only pay the standard 5% uplift?


mrmistoffelees

368 posts

85 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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Yes - it uses the same mechanism as if you wanted to appeal the VAT rate, PAYE tax rates and so on.

Pheo

3,440 posts

218 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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You don’t say where you are, but seem to make no allowance for inflationary costs especially in places like care running at a huge inflation rate, which local government have to fund.

Generally speaking the crisis in care funding will likely be causing it and that’s through failure of central government to do anything about it.

Harpoon

2,237 posts

230 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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Pheo said:
You don’t say where you are, but seem to make no allowance for inflationary costs especially in places like care running at a huge inflation rate, which local government have to fund.

Generally speaking the crisis in care funding will likely be causing it and that’s through failure of central government to do anything about it.
I'd guess the OP is in Croydon, where the council is bankrupt...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64541...

kiethton

Original Poster:

14,275 posts

196 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
Harpoon said:
Pheo said:
You don’t say where you are, but seem to make no allowance for inflationary costs especially in places like care running at a huge inflation rate, which local government have to fund.

Generally speaking the crisis in care funding will likely be causing it and that’s through failure of central government to do anything about it.
I'd guess the OP is in Croydon, where the council is bankrupt...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64541...
Correct

What a precedent to set - mange everything appallingly, spunk the cash up the wall and then know you can just gouge everybody for more when you fk up....

Thing is, its already significantly higher than the majority of neighbouring boroughs, the service is appalling. Legislation facilitates a mechanism to increase by more - a referendum which they'd lose horribly - so they side-step... that's not on

Thankfully in the interim I've backdated single person discount to even things up (moved out in November when it got cold, house under refurb and has no heating)

Edited by kiethton on Wednesday 8th February 13:50

biggiles

1,938 posts

241 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
Harpoon said:
Pheo said:
You don’t say where you are, but seem to make no allowance for inflationary costs especially in places like care running at a huge inflation rate, which local government have to fund.

Generally speaking the crisis in care funding will likely be causing it and that’s through failure of central government to do anything about it.
I'd guess the OP is in Croydon, where the council is bankrupt...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64541...
I would have thought so!

Subscribe to Private Eye, Croydon council comes up pretty often. Others sadly are following Croydon's example.

Edited by biggiles on Wednesday 8th February 13:41

croyde

24,902 posts

246 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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Everyone is at it after seeing the energy companies at work.

Food up by ludicrous amounts, well above inflation. Got my water bill the other day, 50 percent more than last year.

50% !!!

Energy due to go up another 40% in April.

Crazy prices yet everyone else is piling in.

Pheo

3,440 posts

218 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
biggiles said:
I would have thought so!

Subscribe to Private Eye, Croydon council comes up pretty often. Others sadly are following Croydon's example.

Edited by biggiles on Wednesday 8th February 13:41
Probably worth noting that the good people of Croydon do elect the administration so do have some hand to play here in any impacts wink

Given there are over 1000 statuatory duties, and huge challenges in social care, and the legal requirements on finance officers, I suspect more councils not less will go this way. Inflation at 15% but council tax at 5% doesn’t work when you are legally required to provide those things

Sadly when they then do go bust it’s fire sale mode, often leaving local people culturally and asset poor

kiethton

Original Poster:

14,275 posts

196 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
Pheo said:
biggiles said:
I would have thought so!

Subscribe to Private Eye, Croydon council comes up pretty often. Others sadly are following Croydon's example.

Edited by biggiles on Wednesday 8th February 13:41
Probably worth noting that the good people of Croydon do elect the administration so do have some hand to play here in any impacts wink

Given there are over 1000 statuatory duties, and huge challenges in social care, and the legal requirements on finance officers, I suspect more councils not less will go this way. Inflation at 15% but council tax at 5% doesn’t work when you are legally required to provide those things

Sadly when they then do go bust it’s fire sale mode, often leaving local people culturally and asset poor
Yet, when inflation was 0% it still went up at the cap each year.....

SpeedBash

2,516 posts

203 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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croyde said:
Everyone is at it after seeing the energy companies at work.

Food up by ludicrous amounts, well above inflation. Got my water bill the other day, 50 percent more than last year.

50% !!!

Energy due to go up another 40% in April.

Crazy prices yet everyone else is piling in.
Exactly this. Makes you wonder what exactly will it take for the British public to take to the streets to make their displeasure known.

Hugo Stiglitz

39,558 posts

227 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
SpeedBash said:
Exactly this. Makes you wonder what exactly will it take for the British public to take to the streets to make their displeasure known.
Nothing.

Unlike previous generations we have digital TV packages.

croyde

24,902 posts

246 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
Hugo Stiglitz said:
SpeedBash said:
Exactly this. Makes you wonder what exactly will it take for the British public to take to the streets to make their displeasure known.
Nothing.

Unlike previous generations we have digital TV packages.
hehe

cayman-black

13,144 posts

232 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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What fking crooks they are.

trashbat

6,144 posts

169 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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What's the history of rises, and how much are you actually paying compared to neighbouring solvent councils?

It looks like the control of Croydon has been mixed but a bunch of Tory councils have gone/are going bust because they made rate cuts to win votes, found themselves short of money but then were unable to raise them back up due to national percentage-based rate caps.

kiethton

Original Poster:

14,275 posts

196 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
trashbat said:
What's the history of rises, and how much are you actually paying compared to neighbouring solvent councils?

It looks like the control of Croydon has been mixed but a bunch of Tory councils have gone/are going bust because they made rate cuts to win votes, found themselves short of money but then were unable to raise them back up due to national percentage-based rate caps.
It's already amongst the highest in London, this will cement that place there...

We only moved into borough 15m ago and went from a C to a (wrongly appraised G) so is already ridiculous as it was

OutInTheShed

11,672 posts

42 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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Spending is just out of control.

Chrisgr31

14,074 posts

271 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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A significant issue is that the Government has withdrawn central funding from Councils. Councils were told to find other ways of funding themselves. They were blocked from increasing council tax, and therefore many invested in commercial property and things they didnt necessarily know about.

Your council tax may by one of the highest in London but there are some higher outside London now, let alone after the increase in April.

There's not a lot you can do about it, unless you can claim an exemption due to the works to the house/

kiethton

Original Poster:

14,275 posts

196 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
quotequote all
Chrisgr31 said:
A significant issue is that the Government has withdrawn central funding from Councils. Councils were told to find other ways of funding themselves. They were blocked from increasing council tax, and therefore many invested in commercial property and things they didnt necessarily know about.

Your council tax may by one of the highest in London but there are some higher outside London now, let alone after the increase in April.

There's not a lot you can do about it, unless you can claim an exemption due to the works to the house/
We've just claimed single occupancy discount of 25%, as we're out currently. 25% off will do

emicen

8,929 posts

234 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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I saw news earlier that our clowncil council were taking consultation on how much council housing rent should go up.

Not consultation with economists, landlords, housing associations etc, oh no. They asked tenants how much more they should pay, I believe the answer came in at 3.5%

Looking forward to telling them how much extra council tax I think they deserve paid…

rallye101

2,434 posts

213 months

Wednesday 8th February 2023
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What a stshow...I'm in Woking, currently in the red by 1.8 billion due to its white elephant's but wants to build more!!