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Council Tax cock ups
Hi All,
In October 2011 my Partner became out of work and began claiming JSA & Housing / Council Tax benefit. We had been living together since January 2011, but as my wages were not enough to live on, it was more financially viable if I moved out and he could claim as a single person - which he did. He found employment and started a new position in June 2012, he informed the Council that he was now employed and that I had moved back in with him (YAY!!!) and set up a new DD ready for starting paying CT again. We were told that a new Council Tax bill would be sent showing what the new payments were, taking into account what had been paid by CT benefit and the change in circumstances (me!), said bill duly arrived after about 6 weeks, but showing him as still being a single occupant, and that the first payment would be taken on 1st August. He rang them and asked for a revised bill, (which would be the current rate of tax plus the "arrears" between the CT benefit ending and the new CT bill being issued) which they said would be with us shortly. We realised that no DD's had been taken, but assumed that this was because of the incorrect billing and that they would commence once the revised bill was issued showing when the payments would start (was expecting 1st Sept for first DD) and the amount etc. Middle of September we received a letter stating that they were applying for an LO on 15th October for non payment of CT but we have heard nothing since, no notice stating that an LO had been granted and have still not received the revised bill either. Is there anything we can do at this point? We agree we should be paying, but a correct bill would have been helpful. By my reckoning, at the point the Council issued the letter about the LO, we had only missed 2 payments (1st Aug & 1st Sept) CT was paid until 11th June via the CT benefit, so the payments in Aug / Sept would have covered any outstanding amounts had the Council actually taken these DD's, are they usually this quick off the mark with a LO application?
He/We have had major issues with this Council over the last 3 years with CT, in 2010/11 they did not action the DD and due to many other things happening in his life, he didn't realise that the amounts were not being taken, after lots of arguing with the Council - they wouldn't let him pay it in instalments and him being a stuborn sod and refusing to pay the whole lot in one go as it wasn't his cock up, he ended up with the baliffs knocking on the door and demanding £853 - which he paid (we found out after that the baliff charges were almost the same as the original debt even though they were never allowed into the property and only visited twice - hand delivering 2 letters!) In April 2012 the Council again sent letters about a debt we knew nothing about, but being a little more savvy after the previous year challenged and it turned out it was for Council Tax owed 2009/2010 but my Partner didnt move in until May 2010 which was financial year 2010/2011, while this was in dispute once again Chandlers (baliffs) came aknocking but disapeared once we said that it wasnt our debt as it was prior to my Partner moving in and we could prove it with the Tenancy Agreement to both them and the Council.
Really sick of this Council now ... !!
In October 2011 my Partner became out of work and began claiming JSA & Housing / Council Tax benefit. We had been living together since January 2011, but as my wages were not enough to live on, it was more financially viable if I moved out and he could claim as a single person - which he did. He found employment and started a new position in June 2012, he informed the Council that he was now employed and that I had moved back in with him (YAY!!!) and set up a new DD ready for starting paying CT again. We were told that a new Council Tax bill would be sent showing what the new payments were, taking into account what had been paid by CT benefit and the change in circumstances (me!), said bill duly arrived after about 6 weeks, but showing him as still being a single occupant, and that the first payment would be taken on 1st August. He rang them and asked for a revised bill, (which would be the current rate of tax plus the "arrears" between the CT benefit ending and the new CT bill being issued) which they said would be with us shortly. We realised that no DD's had been taken, but assumed that this was because of the incorrect billing and that they would commence once the revised bill was issued showing when the payments would start (was expecting 1st Sept for first DD) and the amount etc. Middle of September we received a letter stating that they were applying for an LO on 15th October for non payment of CT but we have heard nothing since, no notice stating that an LO had been granted and have still not received the revised bill either. Is there anything we can do at this point? We agree we should be paying, but a correct bill would have been helpful. By my reckoning, at the point the Council issued the letter about the LO, we had only missed 2 payments (1st Aug & 1st Sept) CT was paid until 11th June via the CT benefit, so the payments in Aug / Sept would have covered any outstanding amounts had the Council actually taken these DD's, are they usually this quick off the mark with a LO application?
He/We have had major issues with this Council over the last 3 years with CT, in 2010/11 they did not action the DD and due to many other things happening in his life, he didn't realise that the amounts were not being taken, after lots of arguing with the Council - they wouldn't let him pay it in instalments and him being a stuborn sod and refusing to pay the whole lot in one go as it wasn't his cock up, he ended up with the baliffs knocking on the door and demanding £853 - which he paid (we found out after that the baliff charges were almost the same as the original debt even though they were never allowed into the property and only visited twice - hand delivering 2 letters!) In April 2012 the Council again sent letters about a debt we knew nothing about, but being a little more savvy after the previous year challenged and it turned out it was for Council Tax owed 2009/2010 but my Partner didnt move in until May 2010 which was financial year 2010/2011, while this was in dispute once again Chandlers (baliffs) came aknocking but disapeared once we said that it wasnt our debt as it was prior to my Partner moving in and we could prove it with the Tenancy Agreement to both them and the Council.
Really sick of this Council now ... !!
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