Is a 6% rise in our council taxes fair because of immigration?

Question

A report out today has stated that britons face a rise of 6% on our council tax bill to pay for the increase in people immigrating to this country. I pay a huge amount already each month and can barely afford to feed my family or have a decent standard of living even though my husband and I both work hard. I'm sure the same applies to many of you. Why should we put up with it? Why don't we protest outside no.10 and stop this from happening? We let the government walk all over us and it's got to stop. (To all you lazy gits out there who never do a days work and are a drain to society - please don't bother to answer and go find a job).

Ok Barneyboy, are you going to help me then pretty please? I have no money for food so please donate generously thank you. I'm only complaining because I can't support my own family, let alone others so is that fair then? Anyway, I already do help by paying lots of tax and if I had plenty of money then I would gladly donate regularly to charity ! (I always help others too as I currently work for the elderly and am not selfish by any means).

shawLI - you need to read my question properly. I said that both my husband and I work hard (always have and have never smoked) so you are stereotyping. And why do people always use racism as the reason why we talk about these things? I am not racist at all. My best friend is black and I have other friends of mixed race so get your facts straight! I have a couple of days off work - what's your excuse?

Jimmy two times - you did make me laugh! You have hit the nail on the head. To those of you who are happy to pay a 6% increase good luck to you. It's people like you who are making this country weak by not standing up for yourselves. My issue is more of a protest about the rise in the council tax - not so much an immigration issue because I believe it's an excuse too. Although I do believe it should be controlled but that's another issue.

Answer 1

not fair for ANY reason after all wages dont go up by that much

Answer 2

The report was published by the Local Government Association - the body which represents councils, who get their money from:

A) The government
B) Business rates
C) Council tax

Whenever the LGA wants to increase the amount in category A, it says it's going to increase the amount in category C (or cut back services) because this is always deeply unpopular with the electorate and puts pressure on the government. Protesting outside number 10 is EXACTLY what the LGA would like you to do. By all means do their work for them if you want. The net result will be that the government will increase local government grants by funding it out of general taxation. However, a 6% rise in council tax is such a small amount compared to the total revenue of general taxation, that it's insignificant and nobody will see that in fact they're still paying for the same things in a different way.

Answer 3

if we dont have this immigration now the countries finances will collapse, in about 15-20 years.

the demographics of this country have changed.

if we fail to have enough young able workers in the country there simply wont be enough money to pay pensions in the future.

dont consider a councli tax raise

this 6% is investing in your future pensions, without these new immigrants there will be no taxs in the future to pay for our old people , the nhs etc.

you have to look at the bigger picture.



also a lot of you mention the unemployed,

if the country didnt have around 1% unemployment at least we would have financial melt down.

why?

if the economy grows and grows and grows and employs loads of people. then available workers become more and more scarce, if they get too scarce then wages start to rise faster than production, this causes too much money following too few good or inflation. this inflation would cause companies to go bankrupt, mass unemployment and a total loss of international competativeness.


the proof of this is countries such as china and india with huge unemployment taking all our industry.

Answer 4

As a white Englishman who always worked and paid taxes in this country b4 i had an accident that forced me to go on benefits I hadn't noticed any discrimination.But because I have paid towards a private pension I pay full rent and full council tax ?So why do immigrants get free houses and don't pay council tax??Am i getting punished for saving for retirement even tho i paid into the fund myself?I

Answer 5

Of course it is. While there are at it, they can have my pay paid direct into their account and then just give me a little bit to feed and clothe my family. I really don't mind having to pay for something that really is causing so much pressure on our infrastructure. Fine no problem - in fact make it 8%. No 12%.
Actually I would happily pay the 6% if it were to get rid of them. While I am at it. The 10% rise could pay for the pensions of the council workers too. Don't worry about my pension. It could also pay for someone £30k to teach kids how to cross the roads or whatever.

Answer 6

I would say that most imigrants genuinly want to come here to work and will give something back to our country, granted there will be a minority that doesn't.

But I think the government should re-direct its resources to getting all the freeloaders of the state i.e. people who refuse to work, people who are on benefits for no reason and people who steal our hard earned taxes, to be made to either get to work or be punished. (Most of these will be native to this country)

I agree we all pay to much council tax but to blame an increase on imigration I think is wrong, we should tackle other problems first. Get the lazy ***ks working and contribruting something back, if that happens then maybe our taxes will go down.

Answer 7

While I have a certain sympathy with you, I am always stunned at the amount of people who don't work at all and who have never worked. And who're proud to live off the state.
As an immigrant in ths country I have worked as a cleaner (few English people would do such demeaning work), worked in supermarkets and had other low paying jobs. I live near an estate and at least half of my daughter's class's parents have never worked.

Answer 8

It should DROP by 6% if the migration statistics are the supposed cause of changes to Council Tax, because this country has net EMIGRATION, not immigration - more people LEAVE the country each year than arrive!!

Answer 9

Why do they have to RAISE Council Taxes
When in ACTUAL FACT Council Services are GETTING LESS and LESS
You now pay seperate for various things
That where FREE at one time
FOR INSTANCE
to have an old bed removed you phoned the Council
someone came round within THREE DAYS
it was taken away
COST FREE
NOW
to have an old bed removed you phoned the Council
someone comes round within THREE WEEKS
Then YOU have to PAY MINIMUM £10.00p
COST £10.00p minimum
usually per ITEM
Car parking was FREE
Now its MINIMUM £2.00p per hour to park in car parks
Parking tickets given by POLICE
Now run by COUNCILS who keep THIS MONEY TOO
All this EXTRA MONEY THEY GET
RUNS INTO MILLIONS
What have they done with it


We are PAYING MORE and MORE
Council Taxes
BUT the Services we get LESS and LESS

Answer 10

No, I can barely afford to pay for my own family, let alone other peoples, especially those who weren't even born in this country! Why should my 5 month old son go without so that we can keep immigrants in nice clothes and jewellery?

Answer 11

your council tax will rise for several reasons
-the increased duties placed on local authorities by central government
-the government is tinkering with the local authority funding criteria, which will give more to areas it likes (and do the decent thing and vote Labour)
-the local authorities are attempting to get their pensions problems under control, unlike most private pensions local authority pensions are largely unfunded (ie they are paid out of current income, not out of investemnts saved over the lifetime of the employee)
-the funding formula is dependant on the population statistics, some areas have seen significant under reporting of population (eg manchester) through people not filling in census forms, others have seen significant growth in between the 10 year census cycle.