A great big thankyou!

[daybreak]

On monday 18th January, a bailiff from Bristow and Suter came to our home. We had had no prior warning and the man at first said he was representing the Council and come to see about our unpaid council Tax. We were lucky in the fact we had arranged to see someone from the council earlier in the day and so we thought another visit was unlikely. Eventually he said what he was there for and as we would not let him in the house, he went up our garden path shouting that he would give us 5 days. My husband and I found your site and have waded through nearly every post on it. It was a very great help help to us, so much so, that today, the 4th day after he came, the Council have phoned the bailiffs and taken the account back and have agreed to a payment plan from us. We sent a letter from ideas on this forum to the bailiffs, a copy of the letter and a letter of complaint about the bailiffs was hand delivered to the revenues section of the council and then today a final letter hand delivered for put the icing on the cake.

 

A copy of todays letter:

 

Dear

Sir/Madam

 

Re: Council Tax Arrears No. xxxxxxxx

 

Having now had a few days since being aware of the problem with our Council Tax, we have now sorted out our finances and have arrived at a payment plan, which we believe may be in everyone's benefit. Please allow me to explain.

 

1. Deduction from benefits. It is our understanding that this would be done at a rate of £5.00 a week as a maximum. At this rate it would take over x years to clear. This is not an ideal option for the Council or ourselves
   
2. Negotiate with the bailiffs. We are unable to do this as he requires an amount roughly equal to our current state benefits, as most bailiffs require the amount cleared in 13 weeks, so they will probably return the account to you
   
3. You, the authority, take the account back from the bailiffs, which you are able to do because of special circumstances, i.e. disability, long term sickness, unemployment and severe finincial difficulty. These are known as vunerable cases. We will then pay you £xx a month, not a great amount we know, but just under half what our monthly Council Tax would have been. This means the account will be cleared in around xxxx months and you would be receiving monies from day 1. Our prefered method of payment would be by standing order. We should point out that we are paying you direct at the moment because of the disputes outlines in our letter dated xxxxxx. I believe this is the best option for all concerned.
   

Yours faithfully

 

 

 

Once again everyone here a great big whopping well deserved thank you.

[sarnie2109]

I am so pleased that you have sorted your problems with help of these dreat guys.

Surely if you are on benefit you should be entitled to help with your council tax bill?

Have you checked here...

Start Calculation

[daybreak]

Benefits for Rent, Council Tax and Income Support are all being sorted as we speak. Thanks again.

[hallowitch]

thats Excellent new i am very pleased for you well done

 

As you are claiming Income support do you know if you live in England and have children in school years between 3-9 you can claim a free laptop and 12 months broadband

 

Thought i would mention it in case it apples to you and you didn't know about it

[daybreak]

Thanks Hallowitch.

 

Both me and my husband are not young enough to have children of school age though. I have 3 offspring and the youngest is 23. We were not on Income support when the Council Tax amount accumalated, I was employed but off ill with work related stress. I have suffered with a nervous illness for over 20 years and am classed as disabled as is my husband. I was off work for 6 months and we did not know you could get housing benefits while you were off sick, we found out too late to help us. My work made me lso ill that I have had to finish. What we have had to go through and obviously a lot of other people too we now realise, has made my husband determined to get into politics. He said he is going to help others in our situation and as a polition will have more power to do so.

[RaeUK]

Well done daybreak, it's always good to read success stories such as yours. I'm sure many who find this site will take inspiration and encouragement from you.

You know you can always stick around and pass on your knowledge to the benefit of others...

Best wishes.

Rae.

Edited January 21, 2010 by RaeUK
type o

[daybreak]

Thank you Kelcou,

 

I will visit regularly and see if there is any way I can help, but I am new to all this so my help and knowledge on the subject will be limited. I do not intend to just walk away from this site when I got so much help from everyone here.

[ploddertom]

Thanks Hallowitch.

 

Both me and my husband are not young enough to have children of school age though. I have 3 offspring and the youngest is 23. We were not on Income support when the Council Tax amount accumalated, I was employed but off ill with work related stress. I have suffered with a nervous illness for over 20 years and am classed as disabled as is my husband. I was off work for 6 months and we did not know you could get housing benefits while you were off sick, we found out too late to help us. My work made me lso ill that I have had to finish. What we have had to go through and obviously a lot of other people too we now realise, has made my husband determined to get into politics. He said he is going to help others in our situation and as a polition will have more power to do so.

 

I very much sympathise with your situation and hope everything works out for you. have you tried the Council or local CAB to see if they have a Welfare Rights Adviser who can see if you are getting all you should be.

 

PT

[RaeUK]

Good to hear, daybreak. Everyone who posts regularly here was new to the site once so don't feel there's not much you can do.

Sometimes, a kind and caring post will go a long way in soothing a very distressed poster...

Take care.

Rae.

[wonkeydonkey]

thats great news daybreak..and how nice you have taken the time to pop in and offer thanks, those that post on here will remember the time when they didn't know which way to turn when in need of help some have stayed and offered the hand of friendship learning as they have gone along..and then passed that knowledge on to the next.

 

Its a great feeling belonging to this community.

 

wd

[seanamarts]

thats brilliant news, just shows that this site does work,

Wonder if any bailiffs are seeing this, can imagine a few red angry faces as they read hehe.

Maybe we should have a sub forum on here for success stories.

[ploddertom]

Maybe we should have a sub forum on here for success stories.

 

I'll second that as it is very hard to distinguish the winners.

 

PT

[daybreak]

Its great to have so much feed back, thank you to you all. If the letter we sent to the Council can help anyone please feel free to use it. The benefit side of things is all sorted now but I cannot get any of the benefit I should have had while I was claiming sick pay. I was told that ignorance of the benefits is not the authorities fault.

[seanamarts]

I was told that ignorance of the benefits is not the authorities fault.

Then maybe councils NEED to make this information more available to the public, what do they think we are, mind readers and possess crystal balls?? I think that they actually forget WHO pays their wages. Councils can be so ignorant sometimes.

[daybreak]

For anyone on statutory sick pay, help is available in the form of Rent and CT benefits but you will need to get the forms from the Council and the information is not on any of the Council or benefit web sites.

[caro]

CAG is about empowering people to help themselves daybreak, and I think you deserve a pat on the back for doing the research and learning what you needed to do to help yourself.

 

Well done!!