The immeasurable joy of COUNCIL TAX

Just an FYI for those who were interested in utilities and council tax.  They are not the same everywhere.  When we lived in a flat in Glasgow our council tax covered water and sewerage.  Now that we live in middle England they are billed seperately.   

Yep...and it pays to note that council tax rates are different in Wales, as well.

From the advice site,don't know if any of this applies.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/tax/council_tax.htm

Daver - the link doesn't work and I can't find it during a search.  I am interested in 'care workers' - could that include nurses?   

Daver - the link doesn't work and I can't find it during a search.  I am interested in 'care workers' - could that include nurses?  

Strange,I just re-checked it and it seems OK.I found it by doing a Google for just "Council Tax"and it was about the third listing.Not sure what is meant by carers,might be interesting to find out as we are foster carers and every little helps, as they say.

your local council website should have the same info

oops!,  It was MY computer, not the link, sorry!

Well, I found some clarification:
'Careworkers, who work on a low wage and working for a charity'

Hey, sun king, you could become a monk! (or a nun?)

Does someone who is here on a Work Permit or Student Visa or doesn't have ILR yet (and therefore not entitled to "benefits") eligible for the 25% discount, though, even if they are the only person living there?

I'm new to this thread, but Peedal, are you asking if people on student visas are eligible for a council tax discount? If so, yes, full-time students don't pay council tax at all. You send the council a letter from you school stating your full time status and you are then exempt. I seem to recall that if you are part-time, you may get a discount.

Yeah, I was asking that, because somewhere earlier someone listed that "disregarded people" included those who are not eligible to claim benefits, and I wondered that since those of us who are married to UK citizens but don't have ILR yet can't claim any kind of benefits, whether those here (ostensibly) as "temporary" residents (i.e. having to leave when the studies/work permit are up) are eligible.

Or do they even ask what *kind* of student you are?

Just asking!  I mean, if I were to enrol in studies on a fulltime basis would that exempt my "portion," or would it not count because I can't technically claim any sort of benefits?

I'm so confused...

Good questions. As far as I'm aware, a student is a student is a student and you do not have to pay council tax regardless of visa status. I'm not positive so guess I'd better check it out. I do know that when I was on my student visa and Glenn wasn't, we got a major discount as a 2 person household with one full time student.

I don't think they want to know what kind of student you are but I'll check into it. Won't get to it for a while though as we're moving tomorrow. So if someone beats me to it, I'll be quite happy to forgo that little bit of research! 

Yeah, I was asking that, because somewhere earlier someone listed that "disregarded people" included those who are not eligible to claim benefits, and I wondered that since those of us who are married to UK citizens but don't have ILR yet can't claim any kind of benefits, whether those here (ostensibly) as "temporary" residents (i.e. having to leave when the studies/work permit are up) are eligible.

Or do they even ask what *kind* of student you are?

Just asking!  I mean, if I were to enrol in studies on a fulltime basis would that exempt my "portion," or would it not count because I can't technically claim any sort of benefits?

I'm so confused...

I'm here on a student visa and I got the discount for our council tax (I guess actually that I was exempt so we just pay Jamie's share?) You have to have a letter from your school: mine is called a "Council Tax - Student Certificate" but it's just a form printed on the school's letter head and issued by/signed by the Academic Registrar. It states the date, my full name, my date of birth, the beginning date of my course and the end date, and that I am a full-time student. You send that in with your council tax bill and they send you a new bill reflecting the deduction.

Every school does something different - some are forms, some just stamped letters on letterhead. The councils aren't too picky (though it must come from a faculty office and not just a dept secretary or something).

But the question Peedal is actually asking is, if she's on an FLR(M) now and wanted to be a full time student, which would take precedence: the FLR(M) which allows no 'benefits' or the student status? And this could affect you and me AnneG (assuming you are staying a student after you marry and get your FLR(M) as I am.

Oh! Duh. Serves me right for reading posts too quickly. I actually don't think this counts as receiving "benefits" - I was told that home students also get the discount, not just internationals and therefore visa type shouldn't matter. I'm only going part-time next year to avoid having to pay international fees, so I hadn't enquired any further, but I really think that if you're a full time student you qualify for the discount regardless.....

The fact that home students are entitled to the benefit doesn't mean immigrant students are entitled, because UK citizens are entitled to a plethora of benefits that those of us on FLR aren't.

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/default.asp?PageId=786

The following is a list of public funds as defined in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and the Immigration Rules:
 
Income based Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA);
attendance allowance;
severe disablement allowance;
invalid care allowance;
disability living allowance;
income support;
working families' tax credit (replaced in 2003 by Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit);
disabled person's tax credit;
a social fund payment;
child benefit;
housing benefit;
council tax benefit; or
housing and homelessness assistance.
 
Where a person who is subject to a condition prohibiting recourse to public funds is in receipt of any of the benefits or assistance listed above his application for leave to enter or remain should normally be refused. There are certain exceptions to this and information about some of the benefits listed is given below. (See the link for the exceptions - except I seem to be having a problem with the link...)

Council Tax Benefit is specifically listed.

So - those on FLR(M) are NOT entitled to Council Tax Benefit.

And this, therefore, sets up a tricky situation for those who have entered on Student Visas and have been told they're eligible, and then transfer to a FLR(M) after marriage, which makes them ineligible and can affect their ILR application further down the line...

Oh, man. Thanks for that, Peedal. Very frustrating. The only thing that puzzles me a bit is that my student visa says I have no recourse to public funds either, and yet it wasn't an issue for me to get a letter from the uni. for a council tax break.

We will have a new council tax bill in October and I'll probably apply for my FLR (M) that same month. I was going to do it sooner since we've bumped up our wedding date, but maybe I won't now. If I don't, it sounds like I'll be just under the wire for this being a potential snag in my eventual ILR application.

Now I just hope that I didn't do anything illegal by using the letter my school gave me for this past year!!!!

There seems to be a problem with the universities knowing exactly what benefits international students are entitled to whilst they're in the UK.  There is a lot of misinformation given.   

I don't want to upset anyone - I just hate to see anyone take any sort of benefit for the next few years, then have a hassle getting their ILR because of it - one never knows what governmental departments will be communicating with each other with information since the Home Office wants to crack down on immigration abuses.     We (I) have two kids and it would be a BIG help to be able to take the Child Benefit and/or the Child Tax Credit.  But we can't.  And my oldest is ineligible for the new scheme to pay those students who stay in school and go on to higher education rather than leaving at 16 because he's still on FLR.  Double