Awful April...
Discussion
Council tax up 5%
Water rates up 29%
Broadband up 8%
TV up 7%
Absolute joke.
I've not done the calcs, but I think we're looking at a £100 increase each month.
Council tax always seems to increase for a poorer service, Water rates are a joke (+29%!).
I do feel for low income / single parents families who are struggling to start with.
Water rates up 29%
Broadband up 8%
TV up 7%
Absolute joke.
I've not done the calcs, but I think we're looking at a £100 increase each month.
Council tax always seems to increase for a poorer service, Water rates are a joke (+29%!).
I do feel for low income / single parents families who are struggling to start with.
Yeah we can afford it, but many will struggle, it's piss poor.
The thing I don't get is the annual CPI increases for mobile and internet contracts, I don't have annual increases for my gas and electric, what I sign up for stays as it is until the end of the contract, why are mobile and internet providers allowed to do this.
Water, what a f
king joke, it is their mismanagement which has put them into this situation, why should we have to bail them out!
The thing I don't get is the annual CPI increases for mobile and internet contracts, I don't have annual increases for my gas and electric, what I sign up for stays as it is until the end of the contract, why are mobile and internet providers allowed to do this.
Water, what a f
king joke, it is their mismanagement which has put them into this situation, why should we have to bail them out!Our parish council tax went up over 18%. Pay rise 2.5%, going backwards faster and faster.
Our water rates:
From April 2025 the average household bill for combined water and wastewater will rise by 46.7%.
For the average household, fresh water only bills will go up by 40.0% and wastewater only bills by 51.5%.
Our water rates:
From April 2025 the average household bill for combined water and wastewater will rise by 46.7%.
For the average household, fresh water only bills will go up by 40.0% and wastewater only bills by 51.5%.
Edited by BlindedByTheLights on Tuesday 1st April 07:40
Codswallop said:
Really not worth bothering to employ people anymore in this country. Lots of work for ever less reward.
I am out of the game now, but used to employ a lot of people. Under the new Labour laws (and putting additional NI taxation to one side) taking anyone on has become a whole lot riskier - not unlike employing people in France (which I also used to do). The wealth creators, those who create businesses and employment, are being punished at every turn. Taking from the productive to give to the unproductive.
RayDonovan said:
Council tax up 5%
Water rates up 29%
Broadband up 8%
TV up 7%
Absolute joke.
I've not done the calcs, but I think we're looking at a £100 increase each month.
Council tax always seems to increase for a poorer service, Water rates are a joke (+29%!).
I do feel for low income / single parents families who are struggling to start with.
Don't forget car tax is up too...Water rates up 29%
Broadband up 8%
TV up 7%
Absolute joke.
I've not done the calcs, but I think we're looking at a £100 increase each month.
Council tax always seems to increase for a poorer service, Water rates are a joke (+29%!).
I do feel for low income / single parents families who are struggling to start with.
NDA said:
Codswallop said:
Really not worth bothering to employ people anymore in this country. Lots of work for ever less reward.
I am out of the game now, but used to employ a lot of people. Under the new Labour laws (and putting additional NI taxation to one side) taking anyone on has become a whole lot riskier - not unlike employing people in France (which I also used to do). The wealth creators, those who create businesses and employment, are being punished at every turn. Taking from the productive to give to the unproductive.
I have no idea of his financial situation, and it’s none of my business, but why would you kill yourself working those hours when the government is making your life so difficult and taking so much from you. Mental!
Meanwhile local councils are telling evicted tenants to stay put past eviction date and not pay the rent. My Dad currently has two tenants who haven’t paid the rent for four months and were supposed to be evicted this month. The council has told them not to go anywhere so he’s probably going to be out of pocket to the tune of £6k or so. He’s now selling the houses, which may actually be the government’s intention, but it’s two less houses on the rental market.
I really struggle to see why anyone would want to set up a business in this country. It looks a total ballache.
Its easy isnt it? Just pay more tax earn more money! I wont lie though, it is extremely grating. Being early 30's we were always told, go to university, work hard and you'll be OK. 9% Student loan tax, house prices higher than ever, taxes higher than ever, crap roads, rising crime. We missed out on the golden years it seems
Crumpet said:
I’m an employee, and have no ambitions to be anything else, but I was talking to a chap who runs a restaurant yesterday who’d worked over 100 hours last week.
I have no idea of his financial situation, and it’s none of my business, but why would you kill yourself working those hours when the government is making your life so difficult and taking so much from you. Mental!
Meanwhile local councils are telling evicted tenants to stay put past eviction date and not pay the rent. My Dad currently has two tenants who haven’t paid the rent for four months and were supposed to be evicted this month. The council has told them not to go anywhere so he’s probably going to be out of pocket to the tune of £6k or so. He’s now selling the houses, which may actually be the government’s intention, but it’s two less houses on the rental market.
I really struggle to see why anyone would want to set up a business in this country. It looks a total ballache.
On the councils telling tenants to stay put are you sure they are saying that. As they are not allowed to and your dad would get an easy ombudsman rolling if they did. Or are they saying they won’t activate emergency housing powers until a valid court order/ eviction date has been given. Cause they are two separate things, one is actively impeding landlords the other is managing their limited emergency housing provision and public money.I have no idea of his financial situation, and it’s none of my business, but why would you kill yourself working those hours when the government is making your life so difficult and taking so much from you. Mental!
Meanwhile local councils are telling evicted tenants to stay put past eviction date and not pay the rent. My Dad currently has two tenants who haven’t paid the rent for four months and were supposed to be evicted this month. The council has told them not to go anywhere so he’s probably going to be out of pocket to the tune of £6k or so. He’s now selling the houses, which may actually be the government’s intention, but it’s two less houses on the rental market.
I really struggle to see why anyone would want to set up a business in this country. It looks a total ballache.
Crumpet said:
Meanwhile local councils are telling evicted tenants to stay put past eviction date and not pay the rent. My Dad currently has two tenants who haven’t paid the rent for four months and were supposed to be evicted this month. The council has told them not to go anywhere so he’s probably going to be out of pocket to the tune of £6k or so. He’s now selling the houses, which may actually be the government’s intention, but it’s two less houses on the rental market.
I have been through this exact same situation - helping a friend out who is owed £15,000 in rent arrears. Despite a court order to evict them, the local council advised them to stay put... I wrote to the council asking why they were advising people to break the law and why the landlord was being forced to house these people. They replied, and I quote the email in its entirety "We assist all applicants that approach us on an individual basis and in line with the circumstances of their situation."He had to wait for another court date, bailiffs were appointed and they moved out - leaving a wrecked house. He's not allowed to know where they've gone... the law is on the side of the unscrupulous.
The house will now be sold.
Fast and Spurious said:
We are all £500 better off under labour.
And there is more good news.
Our electricity bills are going to be average £300 lower than they were in 2024.
Not sure how 'Funded by windfall tax on energy and gas giants' will work though. The 'windfall' tax has made them give up on North Sea oil and gas extraction and invest their money elsewhere in the world. Did the Labour Party really believe that those businesses would continue to operate on a no profit basis? Much of our oil and gas is now brought on polluting ships all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
NDA said:
Crumpet said:
Meanwhile local councils are telling evicted tenants to stay put past eviction date and not pay the rent. My Dad currently has two tenants who haven’t paid the rent for four months and were supposed to be evicted this month. The council has told them not to go anywhere so he’s probably going to be out of pocket to the tune of £6k or so. He’s now selling the houses, which may actually be the government’s intention, but it’s two less houses on the rental market.
I have been through this exact same situation - helping a friend out who is owed £15,000 in rent arrears. Despite a court order to evict them, the local council advised them to stay put... I wrote to the council asking why they were advising people to break the law and why the landlord was being forced to house these people. They replied, and I quote the email in its entirety "We assist all applicants that approach us on an individual basis and in line with the circumstances of their situation."He had to wait for another court date, bailiffs were appointed and they moved out - leaving a wrecked house. He's not allowed to know where they've gone... the law is on the side of the unscrupulous.
The house will now be sold.
The Council "guidance" is standard and has been in place for years. They won't attempt to re-house somebody unless they're homeless and (technically) they're not homeless until they've literally been kicked out.
This country is honestly fked, the average person can just about afford to exist, nothing else.
Council tax rises are the biggest joke, the services we get provided are so bad. Why are water rates going up by that much?
You go to work for 60 hours a week to try and improve your quality of life, but every year it gets harder and harder.
Those that do have businesses or are landlords, the Government just makes it more difficult for them each year, placing more obstacles in the way. I don't know why anyone bothers, and I think more and more people are seeing this now every year and less are bothering. It'll come to a head in the next few years unless things seriously change, we can't afford anything as a country anymore, we just continually waste all the money.
ked, the average person can just about afford to exist, nothing else.Council tax rises are the biggest joke, the services we get provided are so bad. Why are water rates going up by that much?
You go to work for 60 hours a week to try and improve your quality of life, but every year it gets harder and harder.
Those that do have businesses or are landlords, the Government just makes it more difficult for them each year, placing more obstacles in the way. I don't know why anyone bothers, and I think more and more people are seeing this now every year and less are bothering. It'll come to a head in the next few years unless things seriously change, we can't afford anything as a country anymore, we just continually waste all the money.
HTP99 said:
The thing I don't get is the annual CPI increases for mobile and internet contracts, I don't have annual increases for my gas and electric, what I sign up for stays as it is until the end of the contract, why are mobile and internet providers allowed to do this.
Good question. They're allowed inflation + 3.9% so they grab it. Why is that still allowed? Jon39 said:
Not sure how 'Funded by windfall tax on energy and gas giants' will work though
Because in the simple socialist mind these companies are bottomless pits of free money.As much as Labour want to make me bang my head on the desk, and I say that as a leftie, not all this can be pinned to their door.
Water - private companies
Mobile - private companies
If we use Thatcher's housekeeping analogy, the country has been deferring maintenance for too long and living off oven chips from Farmfoods when it should have maintained investment and looked after itself.
We are in a perfect storm of s
tness after decades of under investment and profit taking by privatised industries. Not sure where we go. Reform will offer simple solutions to complex problems, the old left will blame private industry and the rest of us who inhabit the Overton window will just have to carry on and carry the burden.
Simpo Two said:
HTP99 said:
The thing I don't get is the annual CPI increases for mobile and internet contracts, I don't have annual increases for my gas and electric, what I sign up for stays as it is until the end of the contract, why are mobile and internet providers allowed to do this.
Good question. They're allowed inflation + 3.9% so they grab it. Why is that still allowed? Jon39 said:
Not sure how 'Funded by windfall tax on energy and gas giants' will work though
Because in the simple socialist mind these companies are bottomless pits of free money.Agree with the rest of the comments, f
k knows where we're heading as a country..Simpo Two said:
HTP99 said:
The thing I don't get is the annual CPI increases for mobile and internet contracts, I don't have annual increases for my gas and electric, what I sign up for stays as it is until the end of the contract, why are mobile and internet providers allowed to do this.
Good question. They're allowed inflation + 3.9% so they grab it. Why is that still allowed? Gassing Station | Finance | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff