The current council tax period runs from April 2019 to March 2020.

Domestic households or families are required to pay a certain amount of council tax each year as specified by the local authority or council dependant on where you live.  This amount varies depending on many different circumstances such as household occupants, area in which your property is located as well as the income of the household.  This is a rather fair system as it is income based, however what is very unfair and what does need to be changed is the following.....

From the 1st April 2013 it was made compulsory for people who are not working or who are unable to work to pay 12.5% of the council tax bill.  This amount was to be paid from those in receipt of benefits despite many of these people receiving the benefit which is what the law says is the minimum they need to live on.  This means that The household financial outgoings of a person or family who is in receipt of benefits that is unable to work has increased and the level of income that they receive has not increased accordingly so now many people who are unable to work and are in receipt of benefits are left with an income less than what the law says they need to live on. To add insult to injury The period that you are billed for council tax ends in March 2020 yet each year local councils issue court summons for council tax liability orders  often six months before the billing period has ended which involve fines and extra costs and also the removal of people’s goods from family homes before this period has ended.  If the billing period ends in March 2020 then it is only fair that people should have until the end of that period to pay any bill before a summons for non payment is issued. This is what this petition is for and is what need to be changed, you can help make that change! 

The current system that councils operate under is draconian and oppressive to the members of society that are most vulnerable and who are not just living in poverty but who are kept in poverty by this unfair system. 

People who find themselves in these circumstances, often by no fault of their own are severely affected by this in many ways. It affects an individuals ability to escape poverty and lowers their hope to ever being able to live a prosperous life. It also affects some people’s mental health which can cause other physical health problems. How are people who are living in this modern day poverty expected to seek employment at the minimum wage to be able to support a family or themselves with the added stress of these unnecessary bills and unfair charges that keep them in debt even if they are fortunate enough to find employment? This no doubt causes other problems that affect families, young people and also children and in the worst cases even leads to suicide.

This needs to change and it needs to change Now!