Some while back, I mentioned my difficulties when I tried to claim council tax benefit. The lesson from this was that honesty and integrity when dealing with the organs of the state is counter productive. Had I lied about the French house, no one would have been the wiser and I would have qualified for tax benefits. If we had sold the house, none of the equity would have gone to the council anyway, as we have outstanding debts and once they have been paid along with the French mortgage, anything left over would have gone to pay off some of the capital on our UK property. Therefore, we would have been better off and eligible for council tax benefit – so lying would have merely seen us claiming what we would have been able to claim had we been able to sell the property. The law therefore, is demonstrably an ass, taking as it does, no account of personal circumstances (along with failing to recognise that an asset can also be a liability). But, then, the poltroons who make law are distanced from those of us on the receiving end, so a pragmatic and flexible approach would be too much to ask.
The outcome was, that despite not being paid JSA for two months due to a clerical error on the part of the DWP, we had to pay the £240 outstanding from last year along with a rescheduled payment for this year – the council “very kindly” allowed us to pay over 12 rather than 10 months to bring the monthly bill down a tad.
The problem, therefore, was that having paid the outstanding amount from last year, we couldn’t pay the new instalment on the 1st of the month as demanded by the council because we had wiped out our overdraft. They say that insisting on payment on the 1st is a legislative requirement and they may be right. However if you pay by direct debit then you can have different payment dates, which does suggest that different payment dates isn’t an unreasonable request. I just don’t want to let them have a free hand into my bank account, not least because they keep getting the arrears amount wrong.
Having been cleaned out on the 1st of April, I waited until I received my first pay packet on the 22nd before attempting to make the initial payment for this year. I did this in May as well. This is something that anyone on a limited budget will do – pay the bills when you have the funds with which to do so. What the law has to say about this is moot. If I don’t have the money, the law will not magically produce it for me. I cannot pay what I do not have – a mantra I have repeatedly uttered to the deaf ears over at the nice fancy new (expensive) council buildings.
This, though, is not good enough for the state. They want the money (I nearly put “their” but it isn’t theirs, it’s mine) on the 1st irrespective of personal financial circumstances. They send out threatening letters demanding payment – on each occasion after I’ve made the payment according to my budget.
The second time, I wrote a strongly worded snottogram pointing out that I was paying, merely not to their schedule and that I was not prepared to pay by direct debit as they persistently failed to state the correct amount on their correspondence, therefore, I did not trust them to have access to my bank account. I think I may have used words like “competence” in a negative context. When you have little or no money and everyone is demanding a slice of your flesh, the threats eventually lose their potency. You can only extract so much from a poor man. I told them that I was paying according to my budget and they could like it or lump it. If they took me to court, I would be able to demonstrate payment and that I would merely apply to the court for a payment plan to fit my circumstances.
I received a reply today. On the face of it, they are telling me to get lost. On closer inspection it is not as it seems. They acknowledge that they were getting the figures wrong as they had not adjusted their systems following the £240 payment at the end of March. Then they tell me that they have rescheduled my payments to eight, starting from July the 1st. This means that although the amounts are a few pounds more, there is no June payment. So if I pay the July instalment in mid June when I receive my pay packet, I will be paying according to my budget and they get the money on the 1st of the month.
Sneaky.
Our council gave the impression that changing to a first of the month payment was to “smooth their finances.” Sadly they won’t accept payment over twelve months, which would really smooth them.
I have some doubts as to the legality of demanding payment for a tax year, which commences on 5th April, on 1st April. In effect we are paying in advance. All of the inducements to pay by direct debit (pay a month later, pay later in the month etc.) have also disappeared. They have it all their own way.
I haven’t worked in Council Tax since 2005, so possibly the legislation has changed, but if it hasn’t then it is nonsense about payment on the 1st of the month being a legislative requirement. The law does give some limited flexibility as to payment date, but CT depts are “encouraged” to have just a few recognized payment dates each month to cut down on repeated small runs on reminder notices etc (I’m not saying this works, just that is what it’s for).
As to going to court for a payment plan…that wouldn’t work until you were at committal stage. When it is just a case of establishing CT liability (the first summons stage), all the court wants to know is if the bill is correct.
I was aware f that. However, once liability has been established, there comes the matter of how to pay – and at that point, I can apply for a payment plan. As I was already paying, this would look a bit silly.
This is the sort of utter nightmare which drives people to early graves. Hoping the thing sorts itself out and you can claw back some benefits though the DWP is not noted for charity. Do you have any Romanian blood in you?
Sneaky perhaps, but it displays a rare example of lateral thinking on the part of those who are normally incapable of any kind of thinking, lateral or otherwise.
The bottom line is a solution that accommodates everyone.
Amazing. 😯
Weasels! They cock up and make it look like it’s your fault.
As for any threats, as long as you are making payments of a reasonable amount at regular intervals they would get laughed out of any court. you can count their threats as just a load of hot air.
My Sister works for a politician and whenever I have a problem with the state I get her to send a Houses of Parliament headed Letter. It’s amazing how they treat some of us one way and one of their own another. In fact, if this farce does go on, why not ring up your MP’s office? Their offices do very little nowadays other than mediate. I hope it all gets sorted for you, Longrider. Things will get better
Screw them. Put the money in a bank and pay them on time, even a few days late if you feel like it but whatever you do just don’t pay them early.