Capping of Water Rates

Replies

By angelica

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Thu 14 Feb 2008 10:37

Morning Mo
I didn't know that. We're not metered here yet but I expect it will happen some day. As the washing machine is on every day and our bath is huge to accomodate the bath lift I guess we use quite a lot of water for two people . So I'll bear that in mind if we're metered. Thanks
Angel

By morello

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Thu 14 Feb 2008 17:21

I didnt know until somebody mentioned it to me who is metered and in a similar situation.
Dont you think it would be a good idea for this site to have a list of things we can claim apart from the usual benefits- usually overlapping, things that can help us with trying to save a penny or two ?????????
Mo

By kerry

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Thu 14 Feb 2008 19:30

does anyone know about the discount ive heard about for council tax as a carer.
I pay full except 25% as a student but pay for my husband too, but i read somewhere there was supposed to be a carer premium or something...
Help!
thanks Kerry

By angelica

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Fri 15 Feb 2008 00:16

Hi Kerry and Mo

Looked on my Local Authority website under Council Tax Reductions. Came up with the following. (Have only pasted the ones that seemed relevant to carers):
A full Council Tax bill assumes that the property is the main home for two or more adults. If this is not the case in your home you could be eligible for a discount:
Single Person: If you live alone or are the only adult you can get a 25% discount.
Reductions are also available if all or all but one of the people living in your home are:
Full-time students, student nurses, foreign language assistants, apprentices or Youth Training trainees
Patients resident in a hospital
People who are being looked after in care homes
People who are severely mentally impaired
Care workers working for low pay, usually for charities
People caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner, or child under 18

Don't know if that helps. I assume it's the same for every local authority. You might want to log onto yours and check.

We get the 25% reduction as my husband is considered to be severely mentally impaired. When I was on income support I didn't have to pay any council tax. Now I am working 8 hours a week I've lost income support and I have to pay it but I qualify for some help because I'm still on a low income.

Mo I agree it would be a good idea to list things other than the usual benefits. For example it took me years to find out that my husband didn't have to pay for his prescriptions because they are free when you have certain chronic medical conditions, in his case epilepsy. When I've been on income support it doesn't matter cos they are free anyway. But when I'm working, like now, and only earning a bit more than I was on income support it makes a big difference.
Angel

By kerry

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Fri 15 Feb 2008 18:46

Ah well thanks angel. looks like we dont get the discount then as our boys are under 18. oh well worth a try.

what annoys me about it is that they take into account my student grant (fair enough) but also my student loan which is the bulk of our money and I have to pay that back once ive qualified and got a job earning over about £15,ooo, which is about the limit where i live.
also my eldest went into digs so my payments went up! cos obviously i didnt get her 25% discount even tho shes home for 6 months for holidays and also about 2 or 3 nights a week in between, so shes actually home for 3/4 of the yr!!!!
and i pay extra for the privilage of her 'not living here'.

we get free scripts in wales but longer waiting lists for appts.
it benefits some who may have had to pay for scrips but not those who dont pay anyway- we just get the longer waiting lists lol.

ah well....
Kerry
Ps im still off the fags.... day 8.

By angelica

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Sat 16 Feb 2008 11:30

Hi Kerry
Maybe Council Tax rules are different in Wales as well? Wouldn't want to give you the wrong advice. Might be as well to check your own Council's website.
It seems really unfair that your student loan is taken into account. They don't make it easy for carers to help themselves do they?
Angel
PS. Good luck with the degree - and the not smoking. I gave up smoking to support my husband when he had his first brain haemorrhage and was told he ought to pack it in. I then became addicted to extra strong mints. Had to give them up when I turned vegetarian (they've got gelatine in them) and now at the first sign of stress I head for the biscuit tin. (why is it that nearly everything that helps you cope with stress is either bad for you or fattening or as a carer impossible to do???)

By debzsanderson

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Sun 17 Feb 2008 13:33

hello eevryone

Council tax and other rebates seem to be different dependant on where you live.My partner is on high rate care and mobility allowance as well as incapacity benefit.I receive carers allowance and income support. When I was still working part time we hardly got any help with rent/council tax but since giving up work we now get all our rent and council tax paid in full.I don't understand how they work this out!! I am better off not working (although I must stress due to my partners bad health I couldn't work anymore even if I wanted to) .

I wish that the benefits people would bring out a booklet of all the benefits that you can claim for - we shouldn't have to rely on "accidently" finding out . We used to struggle with public loos until we found out (from someone using a RADAR key toilet) that a free key is available from the council offices.It's bad enough having to except that you have an illness that may change your life forever without the mindfield of benefits etc.

Take care and good luck with the degree

Debbie xx

By kerry

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Mon 18 Feb 2008 17:43

Thanks Debz and Angel.
yes councils do seem to vary (its the same apparently with the water rates) and yes it does seem unfair.
Like you say Debs, before I went off to do my degree we relied on a little teensy weeny bit of income support and child tax credit, but I had my mortgage more or less paid (about 5 sixths of it) and also council tax, but now i pay full everything (apart from 25% student discount on CT)

Sometimes when uni gets me down (as it does cos its bloody hard and tiring on no sleep etc) i feel like saying sod it, and going back on benefits as we were better off then, but i wont cos im too stubborn and i want a degree!

thank goodness for the boys DLA and mob! although they get everything out of it, it also has to go into the cooking pot of finances and we wouldnt manage without it. I would not be able to pay mortgage or anything.
and of course, theres always the worry with DLA that some faceless bureucrat behind a desk who has the power will decide to lower it or cancel it altogether, (as has happened to us before)
so you cant really rely on that either.

Oh blimey im a misery today aint I lol.
Sorry guys!

The sun is shining. we took dog on lovely walk to beach today and not a car, noise, person, even boat in sight to spoil the view of the sea and cliffs etc.
no money can buy that!

By loopy

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Mon 18 Feb 2008 22:10

i enquired about a council tax reduction, but i was told that because i was a carer to my daughter, i would not get a reduction i was told that it doesnt count if you are looking after a child. i explained that she was on high dla and high rate mobility but it still cut no ice. i wish that we could have a leaflet sent out to us to tell us all that we are allowed to claim. i also wish that they would explain it in plain english. the benefits system is far too complicated with all this "overlapping benefit" crap. you try to claim one thing because you are entitled to it and they take the other off you from under your nose!! so you are no better off than when you started. i give up.

By loopy

Re: Capping of Water Rates
Mon 18 Feb 2008 22:14

sometimes i am made to feel guilty about claiming things. but i can only earn a limited amount and have to work set hours because i need to be here for my daughter to put her on the school bus in the morning and get her off it in the afternoon.This government say they want to get carers back to work, but many of us cant work or have to do limited hours because of the people that we care for. This government really does not have a clue i think.