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Overpayment?
Hi all,
Currently having issues with my Council Tax. My council is Glasgow City Council.
I was previously a student up until a couple of months back, but have since finished my course, so now have to start paying as my exemption has ended. My flat mate however is still studying, so she still receives student exemption.
The problem now is that the council is trying to make me pay full price for the whole flat- £160 a month for a Band A 2 bedroom flat in a high rise.
I’ve tried to contact them to tell them I cannot afford this, as I am on Universal Credit at the moment, but I often get nothing from them as my job often pays me just enough to be slightly over the threshold (sometimes I don’t know what the point of being on it is, but that’s another story).
I was told I was going to be exempt because of UC but now they’re threatening me with bailiffs if I don’t pay. I wouldn’t mind paying, if it wasn’t so much or if I could even just get a single person reduction. But I cannot afford that much every month. It’s expensive enough living in a city as it is.
It’s not the first time the council has given us grief. Last year, when my flat mate was between courses, they tried to pull something similar on her. Eventually, they relented and offered her to pay a reduced amount.
What can I do? I don’t want to be taken to court over this, but I genuinely cannot afford it. This is the first flat I’ve rented by myself, and we’ve been here nearly three years. I can’t ask my flat mate to help me out either, it wouldn’t be fair on her as she has her own exemption- and why should we have to, anyway!
It just seems they have no regard for what people are actually going through. Just confusing and a little bit scary. Can they really force me to do this?
Thanks
Currently having issues with my Council Tax. My council is Glasgow City Council.
I was previously a student up until a couple of months back, but have since finished my course, so now have to start paying as my exemption has ended. My flat mate however is still studying, so she still receives student exemption.
The problem now is that the council is trying to make me pay full price for the whole flat- £160 a month for a Band A 2 bedroom flat in a high rise.
I’ve tried to contact them to tell them I cannot afford this, as I am on Universal Credit at the moment, but I often get nothing from them as my job often pays me just enough to be slightly over the threshold (sometimes I don’t know what the point of being on it is, but that’s another story).
I was told I was going to be exempt because of UC but now they’re threatening me with bailiffs if I don’t pay. I wouldn’t mind paying, if it wasn’t so much or if I could even just get a single person reduction. But I cannot afford that much every month. It’s expensive enough living in a city as it is.
It’s not the first time the council has given us grief. Last year, when my flat mate was between courses, they tried to pull something similar on her. Eventually, they relented and offered her to pay a reduced amount.
What can I do? I don’t want to be taken to court over this, but I genuinely cannot afford it. This is the first flat I’ve rented by myself, and we’ve been here nearly three years. I can’t ask my flat mate to help me out either, it wouldn’t be fair on her as she has her own exemption- and why should we have to, anyway!
It just seems they have no regard for what people are actually going through. Just confusing and a little bit scary. Can they really force me to do this?
Thanks
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