hampden_loon2878 Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I recieved my council tax bill for the year in today and noticed that there was a slight increase in the bill,could someone please advise why this is as i have a snp bashing "freind" who has jumped all over this.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Another Tory policy that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I recieved my council tax bill for the year in today and noticed that there was a slight increase in the bill,could someone please advise why this is as i have a snp bashing "freind" who has jumped all over this.. Increase in water rates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hampden_loon2878 Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 So are water charges not under the umbrella of counclil tax or is it completly different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The 'freeze' is a disgrace - just a crowd pleaser from the SNP. I'd gladly pay more to ease the strain on vital services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 So are water charges not under the umbrella of counclil tax or is it completly different? Different Your Council Tax Notice will have something like the following:- The charge set by (your local) Council for 2015/16 for Band "X" is : £xxxx.xx The water charge set by Scottish Water for Band "X" is: £xxx.xx The sewerage charge set by Scottish Water for Band "X" is: £xxx.xx And that's how the total is made up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The 'freeze' is a disgrace - just a crowd pleaser from the SNP. I'd gladly pay more to ease the strain on vital services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The 'freeze' is a disgrace - just a crowd pleaser from the SNP. I'd gladly pay more to ease the strain on vital services. The council aren't getting any less money. They are getting an increase every year from the central purse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The council aren't getting any less money. They are getting an increase every year from the central purse. The first sentence I disagree with. The second is debatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 (edited) An interesting thing was said by Gordon Matheson, Glasgow (and apparently Aberdeen-by-proxy) Council Leader last week. He was complaining about the council tax "freeze" when, in the middle of this article he was quoted as saying:- "it's only as a result of clear political leadership and sound financial planning that we've survived the last few years with no really substantial damage to services." Well done them. However, it did lead me to wonder that if there were "no really substantial damage to services" and the Scottish Government had been slashing their income due to the council tax "freeze" (my words) - where had the money been going previously? Or is it that they really are getting enough to run services efficiently? Edited to correct mising letter Edited March 4, 2015 by Flure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hampden_loon2878 Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 does anyone know how much the council charge Scottish Water for collecting their money If they have increased their charges to Scottish water this would ba the same as increasing council tax as it would be passed on to us the consumer All a bit murky to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 does anyone know how much the council charge Scottish Water for collecting their money If they have increased their charges to Scottish water this would ba the same as increasing council tax as it would be passed on to us the consumer All a bit murky to me No. the council set the council tax. Scottish water set water and sewerage charges. Neither has any influence over the other - but it's more efficient to collect all three charges at the one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Unisons "The Cuts Don't Work" report is a damning insight into the damage caused by both Westminsters cuts and the Scottish Governments austerity programme. Well worth a read over a latte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 "Mr Matheson's criticism of the council tax freeze is rank hypocrisy, given that he was elected on a commitment to a five-year council tax freeze - a freeze which has been fully funded by the Scottish government through additional revenues every single year." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 "Mr Matheson's criticism of the council tax freeze is rank hypocrisy, given that he was elected on a commitment to a five-year council tax freeze - a freeze which has been fully funded by the Scottish government through additional revenues every single year." It's not been fully funded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 It's not been fully funded. The SG says it is. Sounds like stalemate. Do you have any information you could give, to convince me you are right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The SG says it is. Sounds like stalemate. Do you have any information you could give, to convince me you are right? Read the report I referenced above. On 4 out of the 7 years so far, additional funds forwarded to local authorities have been under the rate of inflation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Read the report I referenced above. On 4 out of the 7 years so far, additional funds forwarded to local authorities have been under the rate of inflation. Do you mean Unisons "Cuts don't work"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Do you mean Unisons "Cuts don't work"? I do indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I do indeed. I'll have a read. I'm sure it wont be biased in the slightest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNsTeR Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The 'freeze' is a disgrace - just a crowd pleaser from the SNP. I'd gladly pay more to ease the strain on vital services. the freeze was and still is to help families struggling to pay their bills ..... the fact of the matter Scotland's council spending is still to high and to much wasteful spending ... why continue raising public spending when we are not getting value for our money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scunnered Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'll have a read. I'm sure it wont be biased in the slightest Super Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 (edited) the freeze was and still is to help families struggling to pay their bills ..... the fact of the matter Scotland's council spending is still to high and to much wasteful spending ... why continue raising public spending when we are not getting value for our moneyI know people who work in social services - they are operating on reduced budgets, with fewer staff, and against increased demand caused by the economic downturn. There certainly isn't much wasteful spending in their departments. While we'd all like to pay less tax these are vital services and amenities; at least with my council tax I know it is going to fund local services (or at least it should be). Edited March 4, 2015 by Charlie Endell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flure Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I know people who work in social services - they are operating on reduced budgets, with fewer staff, and against increased demand caused by the economic downturn. There certainly isn't much wasteful spending in their departments. While we'd all like to pay less tax these are vital services and amenities; at least with my council tax I know it is going to fund local services (or at least it should be). How does that square with Council Leader Matheson's "no really substantial damage to services."? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Endell Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 How does that square with Council Leader Matheson's "no really substantial damage to services."?I think he is talking rot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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