How much council tax discount should I be able get?

[Matthew31]

I have just moved into a housing association property and i'm just wondering how much CT reduction I can expect to receive?

 

I'm a single person living there. I know the rate is 25% discount for that, so I assumed that I would pay 3/4 of the full bill (It's £120 a month So I would pay £90).

 

However when I go on benefit calculators such as the turn2us benefits calculator, it says I will only have to pay £5 a week towards CT.

 

My details:

 

I'm claiming carers allowance and IS (£420 a month)

Rent: £400 a month (Applied for housing benefit, shared rate as i'm under 35 which will be £60 a week off rent)

 

 

A second relevant question is would the council be funny if i'm not moved in after the first week?

 

I signed the tenancy yesterday and have started paying rent. The property itself is a complete mess. No carpets, no cooker, no shower. The previous tenants clearly had kids because the walls are stained and the wooden flooring is filthy. They housing association know its that bad too as they have given me vouchers for paint and wallpaper. Then there's activating gas and electric, as well as a big list of other things I need to do before I can move in.

 

The place needs a lot of work and with bank holiday weekend approaching, I can't find anyone to transport my things to the new address so it looks like I wont be able to move in until the end of next week.

 

 

Finally, will having £4000 in my savings account cause any problems with my HB and CT benefit claims? I know it may sound bad that i'm a council tenant with 4k in savings, but that money was built up since being on the housing list by being allowed to live in my previous property rent free so I could save up and also family donations to help with the new place. After factoring in the cost of moving in (carpets, electronics, moving van hire, etc), that £4000 will be gone.

 

 

Thanks

[Mr.P]

Savings under £6,000 (cash, stocks & shares, unit trusts) are disregarded, so you fall well under that. As for paying rent on a property that is currently in a poor state, I'd expect to pay a peppercorn rent until it is fit for occupation. Without gas/electricity and adequate bathing facilities, you have grounds to negotiate a reduction for the first week or three.

 

Do not underestimate the time it will take to clean and decorate or the delays in getting gas/electricity connected if the previous tenants had been disconnected.

[unclebulgaria67]

Check your councils website re council tax benefit, as i think it varies. It will also tell you how much cash savings you can have to affect benefits.

 

I can't imagine there would be anyone interested in a slight delay moving in to the property. You can't move in until it is fit to live in.

[Matthew31]

Thanks both, I appreciate the replies. That's put my mind at rest. The funny thing is they have told me I need to apply for council tax discount by downloading the form online and printing it off yet that property doesn't have an internet connection set up (Would take a while for me to get it set up) so I have to remain at the previous property to do that.

 

I will certainly be having words with them about the amount i'm paying when I call them out to repair what they should have done before I moved (Sliding door latch is stuck and wont budge, rusting window locks, back garden wooden gate is rotten and it's slide lock wont budge).

 

The councils website only says about the 25% off, but its weird how benefit calculators say I would have to pay just £5 a week of it. I thought maybe its because IS reduces it further or something like that.

[estellyn]

Yes, income support entitles you to the maximum reduction, and then you just pay the mandatory contribution part - as the calculator has told you £5 a week.

[Matthew31]

Excellent, thanks very much estellyn.