General Chat

Sally, septic tank is nothing to do with council tax. Just make sure that you aren't paying extra on your water rates. Ros

My council tax comes straight out of my wages

That's extortionate, Sue, for a Band B property! We have just had recycling instructions, along with a new (green) wheelie bin, for garden rubbish, a black box for glass and cans, a blue bag for papers, all this alongside the regular black wheelie bin for everything else. The idea, in principle, is good (save the environment) but I feel sorry for couples who work, have children, it is hard enough to keep all the balls in the air without anything further to think about....... Lily (happily retired)

Received ours this morning it is £1193 for a band C Property Bren

my first posting and our council tax bill is £1000.00 for group b and we live in in low paid holiday area sueindevon

'They say' that the total amount raised will not change after rebanding (we'll have to see). Remember that Council Tax was introduced as a panic measure following the sudden scrapping of the Community Charge ('Poll Tax') in the early 90s, when average house prices were about a third of what they are now. A complete overhaul of the system is overdue.

Band C (Trafford - North West) £929.71 It's gone up £110 in two years, dread to think what a 3-bed semi will be valued at in 2005/06, and the band it will fall into! Lily

As somebody said - wait till they've re-valued our properties (for 2005/06). Did you know that the 'valuer' just goes to a road, assesses the houses in it as a block, and places them all in the same band, regardless of extensions etc! We are in a road where values can fall between at least two bands, but tough on those without garages/extensions - like us! Lily (Trafford)

Geoff is right, only a quarter of what Councils spend is raised locally.

Well its finally arrived. £1114.88 for a band C in Hertford. Only a 5.4% increase on last years (£1057.40) The cynic in me says 'Mmmm.... last year 18% increase, this year 5.4% wonder if our Tone had something to do with that?' Perhaps he thinks people have very short memories! There must be an election in the offing, I got the Labour party pamphlet through the door telling me what a great job their councillors are doing round here. Now, last one I received was in 2001. Perhaps they've been resting in the intervening years!

Fairy Godmother 'Don't tell me the local council don't give a percentage to the government.' What I will tell you is this: 'Councils only raise 25% of their income from council tax - 75% of funding comes from central government. So a small increase in council spending or reduced government grants results in a high council tax increase. Every 1% council spending increase needs 4% increase in the council tax.' From here: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2004/337/pp6.htm (Don't shoot the messenger! Whether or not you are prepared to accept this particular source of information, I don't know. I was expecting to find that the figure was of the order of 70%; if you can show that councils are not reliant on government contributions, but are able to subsidise central government then I would be interested in your sources.) I believe that more government funding (and less local contribution) was a measure introduced by Mrs Thatcher so that Central Government would have more control over Local Government expenditure. In other words, a way of removing power from local authorities.

Hi not had my bill yet but does anyone know if we get a discount my mother-in-law has lived with us for nearly 2 years now and she is 71 this year Tracy

Had mine today. They want £1495 for a band E property. Every year it goes up beyond the cost of living index. I fail to understand why a Council cannot budget for expenditure as for last year but plus percentage rise in the IRP. I am a pensioner and have to live on a fixed income. If the chancellor thinks he can woo my vote with a one-off bribe, (which he cynically knows he will claw back next year if re-elected) he is mistaken. Len

mines the same as yours Lisa,£100 a month--disgusting!!!!

I don't reckon there's many people who think they get value for money when it comes to council services. This is probably because, in the main, we don't ! By and large we pay for a lot of services that we either never use or are just not available in the areas we live in. Also you wouldn't expect a shop to charge different prices for their goods depending on what type of house people live in or or how much they earn.

Someone called me! Sorry I missed the 'T' out of Hertfordshire. Jo. X

Yes ..glad mum lives here if I didnt have the discount as she is an OAP I would have to move.

Ours is £810 for a band A house, it's ludicrous. Where we live it's like the back of beyond and we still have to pay through the nose

I'm only going to get £15 change out of £2,000!!!

i haven't had my bill yet but the council have announced they are only going to empty the bins once a fortnight with a bin for garden waste on the alternate weeks as i live in a terraced house without a garden how will this help me?