Council tax benefit no longerexists after April 2013

[gus]

Not sure if this is the right forum could not find anywhere else.

I received a letter from the council this morning informing me council tax benefit will no longer exist from April 2013. It will be replaced by "local council tax discount scheme" run by your local council and funding from the Government will be reduced by 10%.This only affects people born after 5th Oct 1951 so people of working age.
This then equates to an 18% reduction in benefit (I suppose after admin costs) for the claimant (well for my council anyway). I will be approx £350 worse off per year (at present ct grade) so will have to pay £35 pcm towards council tax.

Where do they think people will get the money from to pay the CT ? I don't have any spare money I am so b****y annoyed
Maybe I could get my band reduced as I am having the bathroom adapted early next year.

[wobble1]

Interesting, I wonder if this is national or local?
I suppose we will all be waiting for that envelope now along with all the others.

[gus]

According to the letter it's national. I didn't hear anything about this before now.

[wobble1]

Makes sense, this government would go for ALL vunerable people rather than their fat cat friends, ggrrrrr.

[davewhit]

Google brings this type of post from different council sites

The Government has announced that council tax benefit in its current form will no longer exist from April 2013. Instead every council will need to create and run their own local council tax support scheme. This new scheme has to be in place by 1 April 2013.

The Government has also decided that the amount of money available to pay for local council tax support will be reduced by 10%.

This reduction in funding means that councils now have to make some difficult decisions about who gets financial support and how much they receive.

Before any changes are agreed, local people are being asked to comment on proposals.


The Government currently fund council tax benefit nationally and local councils, including us, assess claims and pay benefit to eligible residents to reduce their council tax bill.

The assessment is carried out in accordance with Government rules that apply to all councils and claimants nationally.

From 1 April 2012 council tax benefit will no longer exist. It will be replaced with a council tax discount based on a set of rules set out by each local council.

At the same time the Government is reducing funding for council tax discounts by 10%.

Local councils will have to introduce their own council tax support schemes to decide how council tax discounts are applied and how the reduction in funding is managed.

Government has stated that pensioners must be fully protected from the changes. For the purposes of council tax support pensioners are those that have reached pension credit age.

The Government has also said that current discounts and exemptions on second and empty homes, that currently apply, can be reviewed

[gus]

davewhit

Your post is basically what my letter from the council contains. Apart from they have added an extra 8.5% on top of the 10% Government reduction. I suppose the 8.5% is for running the scheme.So any ct help through the new scheme will be reduced by 18.5%. Apparently it may be up to 20% depending on the council.

I am going to apply for the questionnaire and make my views clear.

[slipmaster]

its all in the new UNIVERSAL CREDIT that starts next year

[gus]

its all in the new UNIVERSAL CREDIT that starts next year

As far as I know Council tax is not included in universal credit.I will be on universal credit for HB and CTC but will still stay on ESA as I am on contribution based ESA support group.

[slipmaster]

ok my mistake

[davewhit]

davewhit

Your post is basically what my letter from the council contains. Apart from they have added an extra 8.5% on top of the 10% Government reduction. I suppose the 8.5% is for running the scheme.So any ct help through the new scheme will be reduced by 18.5%. Apparently it may be up to 20% depending on the council.

I am going to apply for the questionnaire and make my views clear.

extra 8.5% your council a "safe labour seat" they will hammer them more