Is a 5% Rise in Council Tax Justified?
By pumpkinjam
@pumpkinjam (8876)
United Kingdom
February 3, 2008 1:29am CST
This is a rise well above inflation and, as last year's "4%" rise was closer to 8%, I would expect the true rise to be closer to 10% this year. That's a lot of money for people who are already having to take out loans to pay their council tax.
This is a condensed list of why this is not justified:
1. Some councils have, or intend to, cut services so why should we pay so much more for so much less?
2. Many of us don't actually get the services we supposedly pay for.
3. The rise is above inflation.
4. The police are having to fight for a pay rise even though the council tax is supposed to go towards the police service.
5. I doubt very much that many people's income is going to rise by 5% so where do the government and the council think we're going to get this extra money from?
6. Council tax often goes towards chasing people up for council tax whether they have paid it or not.
7. Utility bills have already gone up significantly and, no doubt, basic tax and National Insurance will go up too, leaving everyone with even less "disposable" income.
There are plenty of other things I can think of, particularly about my own local council (they are one of the worst in the country apparently).
This is only really going to be relevent to people living in the UK but all opinions are welcome!
The question is this: Is this rise justified?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@wolfie34 (26770)
• United Kingdom
19 Mar 08
Yes, but do our wages go up by 5% to counteract this? When did any 'normal' hard working person get a 5% rise in their wages? It is scandalous and I still refer it as the poll tax because that tax was ludicrous just like the council tax is. If they stopped paying those overpayed politicians so much money to waste on jags etc and ploughed the money back into public services. Sorry but I start to rant and I have to curb my anger. I think it would easier to go to prison, no council tax, all your meals provided, no heating bills and a roof over your head, but I digress. It's all take, take, take from the government.
@pumpkinjam (8876)
• United Kingdom
19 Mar 08
Rant all you want Wolfie. You are absolutely right. I'm sure people wouldn't mind quite so much if everyone's income would increase enough to pay for these rises. People would still mind of course because we get s0d all for the extra but we would mind less if it wasn't a strain on our "working class" budget.
1 person likes this
@RieRie (820)
•
3 Feb 08
well the council will give you a leaflet to explain exactly where all the money goes, except, most of where the council tax goes is already paid for by national insurance contributions.
So really council tax should be capped, especially since the government are helping them out a lot anyway, it was on telly the other day that council tax doesn't need to go up at all.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8876)
• United Kingdom
3 Feb 08
You are right. It doesn't need to go up. The leaflets are useless anyway as all the information which is not an outright lie is deliberately misleading and the way they claim to spend money is either not true or not necessary. Our town hall has been refurbished while there are blocks of flats desperate for security which the council think is too expensive! It just goes to show where their priorities lie. No doubt higher council tax will go towards lining councillors pockets.
1 person likes this
@dorypanda (1601)
•
4 Feb 08
Of course the rise is justified..........if you work for the council or council tax people. For real people, NO, it's not justified at all.
In the area where I live the local town hall, not in the town I live in, but in the next town (where most of the council tax seems to be spent) is being done up to look like, well, to look only slightly different from what it did in the first place. There's also some type of work going on in a shopping centre there too, they are digging up the posh paving outside of the shopping centre, I think just so as they can put some different posh paving down. So that's where our council tax money's going, why don't we just flush our own money down the toilet?
@pumpkinjam (8876)
• United Kingdom
11 Feb 08
Our money would do more good being flushed down the toilet I think!
I think it is especially bad when your money is not being spent in your own town but going to the greedy neighbour. In situations like that, the "poor neighbour" town should have a massive reduction.
I know a lot of things in my local area are now privately owned (or at least owned by companies other than the council) but they are still counted as things we pay our council tax for...
1 person likes this
@nannacroc (4049)
•
3 Feb 08
No it isn't justified and, as you say, wages will not go up that much. It seems that the council tax is becoming more difficult to pay and we get nothing for it. I just agree with all you said.
2 people like this
