r/Glasgow Tools

It says it can be paid montly or 4 weekly on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 28th of the month.

I started paying from September so August might have been due. It's went from over £30 to £60 to £90 to £110 for this month and now £150 for January.

I was told that at 16 hours I am only entitled to the housing element of Universal Credit so I get no additional money other than my wages but was told that if I got money from Universal Credit that would bring it down. I have now went to 12 hours a week and that means over £135 a month less and there's still no change, I still receive no extra money and the amount has now increased to £150. I was told that everyone on Universal Credit gets a new council tax letter every month as every month your earnings could change so it will never be the same. Well my earnings never changed for months but sure enough.....they were right.....every month the council tax keeps going up and up.

I was also told on the phone just last month that the reason It went from £90 in November to £110 in December is because Universal Credit said I had an increase in earnings, that I received over £800. I tried to explain that their monthly calculations took 3 payments into consideration rather than 2 and that £300 of that is rent, I don't see that money and they said take it up with them which they wont do anything about since their own website shows this will happen if you are on fortnightly pay. It's also due to happen again in February and also because of that only £23 of rent was paid so last month not only did the council tax go up but they've put me in nearly £300 rent arrears which I can only try and pay off. That's when I said to the person on the phone, I work 12 hours a week minimum wage. I'm now in nearly £300 rent arrears and I have to pay £110 council tax.....there's not enough money to go around so something has to be missed and that's when they said I'd advise paying your council tax before your rent because you only get one warning letter and if it's not paid the sheriff officers will come out.

I'll need to do something. The bottom line is it does keep going up and up and I don't know how much further it can go up. The letter says I can pay on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 28th but I am being punished and charged extra by not paying on the first?

Luckily all the pay slips are there and Universal Credit statements are there so there's not enough for both. Welfare rights say don't pay all of it, just pay some.

I was told on the phone the reason is an increase in income so that's why I said why does someone who owns their own home pay less than me? What other way can I read into that? It came across to me like.....the more money you get, the more you pay, even though the truth is I'm getting very little.

Another thing I heard was because I took over this property in July but my first payment was September was that August was in arrears and I started mid year so they thought that all this extra money was basically me paying for March, April, May and June and that the year is up in February so they're trying to get 12 months money out of me in the space of 6 months.

All of that is stuff I have been told, I'm not just thinking of it and trying to think of my own reasons. And if there was any charges or arrears then surely that would have been included in the first payment. I've never missed a payment. So surely if August was in arrears that would have been covered with my September payment? And as for being charged extra for not paying on the 1st....why does the letter list all those other dates? And why doesn't it say on the letter you will be charged more for not paying on the 1st? If there are charges there then tell me or the way I think of it is this. If I pay the £110 this month....and then pay £150 on the 1st of January......does that mean February will be an awful lot lower? Because if February is £110 or £150 then why bother? If it's not gonna make any difference then why use every penny just to get it paid on the 1st? If I pay the £110 just now and then obviously forget about Christmas there's nothing for that then a week later another £150, that's £260 in the space of 14 days.......will it make any difference? Am I going to drop down to £80 or £60 for February and March?


That's why I was thinking of going on certain sites and asking people. I'm not the only person in Scotland working 16 hours. Everyone knows someone working 16 hours but I'm down to 12 now and I'm in Band B council tax, I'm not in a big expensive property. I honestly am curious about other people in a Band B property...working 16 hours or less....what they pay every month.

It could just be because I'm a single guy. If you're disabled or have kids obviously you'll get a ton of discounts and I know not everyone I work with lives alone so there could be elements of that in play. In a way I can see why a lot of people live the way they do now. My friend obviously owns their property and it's worth a lot more than where I rent and I can't understand why I am paying so much more council tax than them and I earn a fraction of what they do.


I might need to book an appointment to speak to someone at the council tax office in person rather than on the phone and I can discuss all that and I can mention my friend owning their property and I've kept all the letters and I'll get all the payslips and we can work things out hopefully and they can explain it to me and why, even though it gets paid in full every month it keeps jumping up and up.