The council mucked up my council tax bill yet because I am honest . . . ?

Question

I am the one who has to provide additional info for a new bill!

I have just moved house and completed the standard household enquiry form - posting it off along with my University issued exemption certificate which states I am a full time student. I got a bill with applied 25% discount as a single occupant instead so called the council.

I added that I had also sent a letter stating my course end date was going to change because I'm having a baby and I'd provide a new cert when issued.

They told me I won't be exempt when I have the baby because they wouldn't consider me a full time student if I couldn't study!

I pointed out it is the summer holidays and I am completing my study from home/ intermittent tutorials at college so am in no way different from any of my contemporaries except my course end date will be extended.

Instead of accepting this, they need me to state this in a letter!

How ridiculous? Any other student remains exempt in the holiday periods!

Answer 1

my son is a full time student he is exempt all of the time. Just do as they say and write the d**n letter and attach a copy of the exemption - someone is not doing their job properly.

Answer 2

Get the college to send a letter. I know it is extra work on your part but it will be worth while if you get the discount.

Failing that - if they don't give you the discount go to the Citizen's Advice Beureu and put in a claim through small claims court. The threat of this alone is often enough to scare them into leaning your way.

Good luck

Answer 3

Eh? Not sure what your council is up to here. Get advise from your local CAB. Write asking them for a full statement of reasons for this decsision and for a details of all regulation used in allowing them to make this determination. Then appeal their decision. I can't think of any legal basis for them to have made this decision, if you are a student at a university that is enough, simply they do not have the power to look at your other child care commitments as it is feasible your mother looks after te baby etc. they are obligied to accept the terms of your university course

Answer 4

It is ridiculous, but just do it and get it over and done with. The you've done your bit and they can't argue. Make sure you keep copies of absolutely everything you send though so that, if and when they get it wrong again you can send a really patronizing letter to them with the copies to prove you did as they asked. Blooming idiots on the council, you wouldn't employ them to clean your toilet out cause you'd have to 'fill out a form'!!!!!

Answer 5

Be aware that most people working for the Government couldn't get a job in MacDonald's ..

You need to find the one of the few people in the office who actually know what they are doing (rather than one of those who have been employed as a result of 'positive discrimination' policies) ...

Just be polite and persistent in appealing to their supervisor / manager (or whatever they are called these days) until you find some-one who makes sense  ...