The moaning about council tax thread.

[d000hg]

Yes but they won't spend it on it. They need it for the social services, local government pensions, education and refuse services.

Potholes and street lamps will only get fixed either when they have fined enough motorists (if your council controls it's own parking services) or when enough people ask them for compensation for accidents.

Apart from the fact SS, education and refuse are pretty damn important (more so than potholes IMHO), the last two years the heavy frost/snow carved the roads up badly and they were fixed up very quickly.

Don't get me started on Council Tax!

£2000 a year, and all I can see that I get for that is my bin emptied once a fortnight

It's all the things you don't see because you pay.

[PRC1964]

5 days after tax?

WTF does corp tax, capital gains tax, income tax, NI, stamp duty, alcohol duty, fuel duty, road tax, airport tax and VAT pay for then?

Well, no. Not after tax .

As for what the other taxes pay for? Well there are duck houses to be paid for, and we do need to keep the government wine cellar topped up. Not forgetting civil service pensions. Oh, and before I forget, there is the £121.6 million cost of collecting the BBC licence fee (2007 - 2008).

All money well spent though.

[hyperD]

My council tax (band G) is almost exactly the same as I billed for five days at my last contract rate. I'm pretty much OK with five days work to pay for bins , schools, libraries, local roads, parks and what ever else they claim to do with the dosh.

I think if you looked at the breakdown, you may find out that these items account for a much smaller slice of the council tax pie than you imagine - over 50% of our council tax for instance is used to fund Housing and Council Tax Benefit Awarded.

Some of the regular services that people normally associate with the council tax have actually decreased over the decade, housing and council tax benefit awarded however is not one of them as it is the primary driver for our continual rising council tax (11% increase this year).

[Bagpuss]

I think if you looked at the breakdown, you may find out that these items account for a much smaller slice of the council tax pie than you imagine - over 50% of our council tax for instance is used to fund Housing and Council Tax Benefit Awarded.

.

I'm not sure where you are getting this from but Housing/ CT benefit doesn't come out of your council tax, it's a central benefit administered by your LA out of the central grant.

Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit subsidy – FAQs - DWP

[scooterscot]

Band G.

Please cough up £2529.69.



I'd take the money in person if there was no risk of my car falling down a 5 foot deep pothole and some of the street lamps worked.

Overpaid council s

Do you live in Edinburgh too?

[configman]

I think if you looked at the breakdown, you may find out that these items account for a much smaller slice of the council tax pie than you imagine - over 50% of our council tax for instance is used to fund Housing and Council Tax Benefit Awarded.

Some of the regular services that people normally associate with the council tax have actually decreased over the decade, housing and council tax benefit awarded however is not one of them as it is the primary driver for our continual rising council tax (11% increase this year).

The first thing done when a council receives its funding is ring fence salary, bounus, and pension. If there isn't enough left to provide a service they cut the service. The first 20% of any council tax goes on protecting final salary pension schemes, bonus, and salary. With the private sector rapidly losing or already lost its final salary schemes the councils are opting for strike action if they lose theirs. The same can be said for all taxes and public servants. Council tax is no more than a protection racket more scandalous than MP expense claims - it is being used to give public servants more rights than everyone else.

In the last few years I have had the police fail to respond to a fraud and had to take private action, the NHS refused me treatment and I had to go private. My wife was subjected to stalking from her ex husband and the police didn't want to know and I had to take action. A teenager on mobile, and uninsured drove into the back of my staionary car and the police took no action. My car was damaged by potholes, and I couldn't get to work because the council didn't clear the roads. All the while I paid their salaries, contributed to their final salary pensions, and they even got bonuses.

I object to paying any British tax that is being taken dishonestly because it is not giving me the service that is promised as part of that payment. Instead money is being stolen to use for pensions that we are not entitled.

Before the new tax year begins I become non-resident and will no longer for the foreseeable pay any further UK taxes council or otherwise.

[Freamon]

Band G.

Please cough up £2529.69.

Think yourself lucky you're not paying Land Value Tax instead.

[SizeZero]

I object to paying any British tax that is being taken dishonestly because it is not giving me the service that is promised as part of that payment.

How to follow such a me-me-me post?

The money paid in council tax (nothing to do with the NHS or Police which are centrally funded) goes to help people in the society to which you belong, no matter how much you like to think you bear no social responsibility.

It provides meals-on-wheels to housebound elderly who cannot cook for themselves.
It provides day care and/or independent living for the elderly and for those with difficulties and conditions, such as downs syndrome or MS, who have no opportunity to live a life as full as yours.
It rescues and cares for thousands of vulnerable, neglected, abused children, and prevents Baby Peter or Victora Clombie cases becoming a daily event.
It provides public libraries to help the smart kids/adults get smarter and achieve a better future, or offer community or cultural courses to enrich peoples lives.
It provides leisure centres for those who cannot afford expensive gym membership, helping everyone to take part in sport.
It provides housing for those who cannot get on the property ladder, or the elderly who saw no shame in not owning your own home even if you couldnt afford to heat it (pre-Thatcher culture)
It controls infestations of vermin.

Local government workers aren't earning contractor rates and these days they are just as easily benched. Someone who has to wipe old people's butts or remove rat carcasses all day, or take abuse from teenagers and their parents without retaliation, deserves their pension far more than some Armarni wearing p*** sat behind a monitor all day.

[configman]

How to follow such a me-me-me post?

The money paid in council tax (nothing to do with the NHS or Police which are centrally funded) goes to help people in the society to which you belong, no matter how much you like to think you bear no social responsibility.

It provides meals-on-wheels to housebound elderly who cannot cook for themselves.
It provides day care and/or independent living for the elderly and for those with difficulties and conditions, such as downs syndrome or MS, who have no opportunity to live a life as full as yours.
It rescues and cares for thousands of vulnerable, neglected, abused children, and prevents Baby Peter or Victora Clombie cases becoming a daily event.
It provides public libraries to help the smart kids/adults get smarter and achieve a better future, or offer community or cultural courses to enrich peoples lives.
It provides leisure centres for those who cannot afford expensive gym membership, helping everyone to take part in sport.
It provides housing for those who cannot get on the property ladder, or the elderly who saw no shame in not owning your own home even if you couldnt afford to heat it (pre-Thatcher culture)
It controls infestations of vermin.

Local government workers aren't earning contractor rates and these days they are just as easily benched. Someone who has to wipe old people's butts or remove rat carcasses all day, or take abuse from teenagers and their parents without retaliation, deserves their pension far more than some Armarni wearing p*** sat behind a monitor all day.

You mentioned all the services now being cut to protect the public sector pensions and if you read my post properly I referred to all taxes not just council. How can you claim that the money goes to help people in society when it is not? As I said I was refused police help and medical care when needed - not just me plenty of other people can lay claim to that too. Police funding has a significant contribution from the council tax look at the breakdown of your council tax. It is true that a lot of public sector workers are not on contractor rates - but their leaders far exceed contractor rates. A lot of the others are well paid doing non-jobs for 30K plus per year.

It is the public sector workers making the cuts in preference to there own lifestyle - it is they who have the me me me's. All I do is defend myself from being told I have to pay into a society that will look after me when I need it - when I have seen evidence that it will not.

[Sysman]

I think if you looked at the breakdown, you may find out that these items account for a much smaller slice of the council tax pie than you imagine - over 50% of our council tax for instance is used to fund Housing and Council Tax Benefit Awarded.

Some of the regular services that people normally associate with the council tax have actually decreased over the decade, housing and council tax benefit awarded however is not one of them as it is the primary driver for our continual rising council tax (11% increase this year).

About 20 years ago one large council crossed the threashold where they were paying out more in pensions than salaries.

Don't forget to count the teachers in your area. I was really surprised how many there were in the last place I lived in the UK.