Council Tax Overpayment

[sloane82]

Hi if i have, a council tax overpayment, which has gone, to the tribunal, and the decision, still stood, to pay it can i do, anything, to cancel this payment, if i have, contacted the council, and tried, everything i can do?

[nemesis45]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

Hi if i have, a council tax overpayment, which has gone, to the tribunal, and the decision, still stood, to pay it can i do, anything, to cancel this payment, if i have, contacted the council, and tried, everything i can do?

Good afternoon.,

An overpayment of CT benefit?

Did you know that you were being overpaid?

nem

[sloane82]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

They made the mistake, by overpaying it.

Good afternoon.,

An overpayment of CT benefit?

Did you know that you were being overpaid?

nem

[nemesis45]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

They made the mistake, by overpaying it.

Do you have any evidence that the council was at fault e.g. a letter from you informing the council of a change of circumstances?

nem

[sloane82]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

Got load's of evidence, can't scan it on as i, do not have a scanner.

[Snoopy1948]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

Hi Sloane82

As others have pointed out, I believe you are talking about an overpayment of council tax support ( previously known as ctax benefit )?

Can you give some of the instances that you are quoting in your defence here? I am aware that the bulk of benefit overpayments are due to the council being uninformed of the correct circumstances of the individual and there are very generally very few instances when the local authority is at error and that would normally be in their own calculation.

It is very easy to simply blame the council every time they present you with back billing of council tax and to an extent, I can empathise with that. Believe me, I have had this conversation with thousands of claimants over the years. If you firmly believe you are right, then you have every right to challenge the situation, of course. However, any council worth their salt should have double checked everything before a tribunal appeal and that should have included an element of senior officer quality control.

So if you can give us some facts regarding your defence, perhaps we can comment further.

[sloane82]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

From signing, on through JSA, finding work, through, agencies, joining the reserve's army, i went through financial hardship, and with the passing of my uncle, due to cancer, a hard time kept paying my council tax then i had a discretionary, housing payment, need to ask for another one really.

[Snoopy1948]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

Hi again sloane82 and thanks for the update.

I can really empathise with your situation as clearly there were a combination of circumstances that were difficult to handle and as such, your own admin, in particular with the council, was hard to maintain. But alas bureaucratic life goes on and you would have had to advise the council of such change of circs as you went on.

Alas, dealing with Job Centre Plus and the DWP does not mean that the council know what is going on. Sure, each council has a direct computer link to such records, but only for purposes of checking a situation that you tell them about. Other agencies do not actively liaise with councils in real time.

I can well see why your appeal at Tribunal failed as yours was simply a difficult series of life events that needed to be communicated to the council. That's not to say that councils have no heart in the matter, they are humans like anyone else, but they can only work on the rules.

You must enquire about the possibility of another DHP payment. I appreciate it's tedious and you have to provide income and expenditure details every time but councils do have a set budget for it each year, or at least they used to. I am sorry that I couldn't be more positive about your Tribunal appeal.

[sloane82]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

It has not failed, the tribunal, i am waiting on a decision.

[Snoopy1948]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

Hi if i have, a council tax overpayment, which has gone, to the tribunal, and the decision, still stood, to pay it can i do, anything, to cancel this payment, if i have, contacted the council, and tried, everything i can do?

Apologies sloane82, I thought the above meant that the Tribunal rejected your appeal and the overpayment 'still stood' and as such you were asking for what else you could do?

[sloane82]

Re: Council Tax Overpayment

Cheer's for the advice, i'm going to have to wait, for the response, of the tribunal cheer's.