Brent Council is consulting on making changes in the Council Tax Support scheme. As you can see from above their drop-in sessions have attracted very few people. There is still time to take part in the consultation online that ends on December 15th 2024. Residents' Brent Council Tax bill is expected to increase by a further 5% in 2025-26.
The council is seeking savings of £2m on the scheme by revising the proportion of Council Tax paid by working families in need of support. The lowest income group would now receive a reduction of 65% rather than the 100% reduction (ie pay no Council Tax) at present:
I have embedded the full consultation document below. To take part in the consultation follow this LINK.
31 comments:
If you have a property and double the size of it the council tax paid only changes once the house is sold - the council tax band should be changed as soon as the building work is signed off.
A Feudal tax anyway, the way it already revenue targets small homes and then conveniently under charges large scale homes.
A lot of the tenanted population growth zone areas are having their welfare state infrastructure total removed anyway to make this unjustly applied tax even more unjust.
What happens to all the HMO's? 3 in my street, all extended and enlarged, all on the old bands of CTAX, where collectively there are in excess of 25 people, all using the civic amenities and yet paying the bare minimum
HMOs should pay more council tax.
Cost will be shifted to tenants
Why is student accommodation exempt?
But why should we subside HMO landlords/tenants???
Indeed - the student accommodation building owners should pay council tax - farmers are getting hit so why aren't they?
If you want to help generate extra income to Brent Council to help avoid some of the cuts then if you know of a long term empty property in your area report it to the Brent Finance Department (Council Tax).
There are of course exemptions when good reasons exist - complicated probate for example - but in most cases the Council Tax due goes up if a property has been empty for over a year.
With the ongoing shortage of homes in Brent - and a £10 million + overspend on the Council's temporary accommodation budget every home left empty for longer than necessary is a waste.
This comes from Brent Council website.
Empty property charges
If your property remains empty and substantially unfurnished for more than one year, a premium will be added to your annual Council Tax bill.
A substantially unfurnished property is defined as one that does not contain enough furniture or white goods to allow someone to comfortably live in it e.g. beds, sofas, tables, fridge, freezer, cooker.
The charges from 1 April 2024:
How long the property is empty Council Tax charge
More than one year 100% premium (twice the standard rate)
After five years 200% premium (three times the standard rate)
After 10 years 300% premium (four times the standard rate)
Just stating the obvious
Some people are just so bitter against landlords lol
Because students are exempt whether they live at home, in converted housing or purpose built student accommodation. However the legislation should be changed so the operators/owners pay it or it should be caught by business rates.
Landlords cram their houses with tenants all using our already depleted local services. Their properties need extra bins for their waste which they don't pay more money for or they encourage their tenants to dump their waste on our streets!
So yes landlords should pay extra council tax 👏
Surely it's the property owners right to do whatever they want with their property???
Get after those who have doubled the size of their property but still pay the same council tax as the neighbouring property which is unchanged.
A feudal tax. Charge it by a homes square metres instead, from pocket studio flat right up to the 365 bedroom palace.... instead of having the maximum tax cut-off point as being a three bedroom semi.
Like with all taxes 'self interest' rules. Get 10 people in the room to find a solution and you will get 10 different answers and priorities. Council Tax arose because some people found the 'Community Charge' unacceptable. So which option for local taxation is fair or best or practical? What ever is picked there will be winners and losers.
1. A charge on property (cannot move so easy to collect)?
2. Charge on individuals for use of services (people move so not as easy to collect)?
3. Local Income Tax to take account of ability to pay (requires new collection system unless attached to national Income Tax system)?
4. Other form of taxes - use of roads, visitors tax, tax on services, deposit tax on takeaway packaging or what else?
The sad reality is there is no consensus except on one thing. People want more services but are not willing to pay the true cost. Not helped that Parliament passes new Laws, expects Councils to enforce them or provide a new service and then forces up Council Taxpayers (not Income Tax) to pay for them.
Yes Anonymous at 14:10 - property owners have the right to do what they want with their property. (Speculating on value rising and leaving it empty unnecessarily seems a bit selfish though when homes are in short supply) It is equally the Council's RIGHT to charge extra Council Tax on properties being kept empty for no good reason.
Thst would be far too logical 🙄
A pocket studio flat in some places could be worth an extortionate amount of money though, much more than a huge family house.
Also a need to review council tax equity in terms of zonal planning; zones of welfare state infrastructure growth, protection and enhancement contrast with zones where the entire welfare state infrastructure is being removed for tenanted towers growth. Its a very different England become zoned from when this tax was set.
Of you have worked hard to buy a house it"s yours to do what you like with it!
What about the selfish people who refuse to work conttibuying nothing to society whilst we pay our taxes to fund their benefits and their kids education etc etc etc???
What about those not working and contributing??? If you refuse to work you shouldn't get benefits!
Why don't Brent Council get single people living in 3 or 4 bedroom council houses to move into smaller properties so that families can live in these much needed houses?
It’s people like you that create division in our community
i will never pay brent another penny
Are you moving?
Heard on the radio about a care leaver who did two jobs, attended university and volunteered to help other carers negotiate leaving the care system all at the same time - what great role model!
What excuse do others have for not working at all and how are they able to claim benefits long term?
As society says students are for the social good so we recognise they will be poor for a period
"North London residents have questioned how the ‘eye watering’ salary of Brent Council’s Chief Executive can be justified amidst continued tax rises and service cuts. Brent Council’s CEO earns just over £220k a year – £50k more than the Prime Minister’s salary.
Current CEO, Kim Wright, received a take home salary of £220,680, that’s £53,894 more than PM Kier Starmer’s earnings of £166,786 – which includes the £91,346 salary paid to all MPs – although the PM does receive additional benefits, such as a residency during their tenure. It is roughly in line with the average CEO other other London councils, with a further 82 senior managers receiving salaries ranging between £64,687 and £180,792, according to the council’s website.
After the CEO, there are three tiers of senior manager in Brent. The six strategic director roles pay rates range from £110,629 to £180,792, whilst the 13 operational director salaries range from £105,189 to £141,766 and the 63 head of service rates range between £64,687 to £110,629. Brent Council claims the salaries are necessary to ‘attract the best people’ but residents have said the salaries are enough to ‘make your eyes water’."
https://harrowonline.org/2024/11/27/harrow-and-brent-councils-defend-executives-salaries-amidst-tax-rises-and-service-cuts/
Irrespective of how much they are paid, are we getting value for money, the answer is clearly NO, they are not looking after existing residents. Just do your job, stick up for us, Take note of objections, and keep your promises.
Think it does matter how much they are paid considering we residents are funding their salaries.
These Council Officers are on high salaries with no penalties for not making improvements to where we live and majority of them don't live in Brent so they are no invested in this area.
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