Anyone had their bill yet

[malamute]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

I never know what my work situation will be like so, in my case, I think it makes sense to spread the payments over a longer period - especially as there's no mention of them charging extra for paying over 12 months.

Don't be giving em ideas!! haha

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

My council tax bill said this but cunningly worded as "you are now allowed to pay you council tax bill over 12 months but you must apply as soon as possible."

Crafty blighters aren't they?

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

Don't be giving em ideas!! haha

I'm sure it will have crossed their minds!

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

April to January here.

Not looking forward to getting mine as they still haven't sorted it out from when my DD moved back home (I was getting the 25% single occupancy discount.)

I notified them more than 4 months ago but I bet they'll want the underpayment paying immediately.

Got mine yesterday...county council bit down 2% and policing up 1.9%.

Still has the 25% discount for one adult even though I informed them more than 4 months ago that my 24 year old daughter is now living here.

The clowncil sent me an amended CT bill...still showing the single person discount (informed them at the beginning of November that my DD was now living here.) I phoned them to tell them and also to ask for payments over 12 months. I'd already made one payment of one tenth of the annual total (without the single person discount).

I have now received a bill for 2013-14 with instalments from May to March but they also want the overpayment of 2012-13 single person discount paid by 1st May in addition to the instalment for this year's bill

I phoned them saying that would be difficult, especially as I haven't been working for the last couple of weeks, and I didn't see why I should be expected to pay all at once when I'd notified them of the change 5 months ago. She said that they can only arrange for the overpayment to be paid in instalments if legal proceedings were taken out and there would be costs of circa £80 added, which obviously I don't want. She said that I could pay the overpayment in May and then start paying the remainder of this year's bill in 10 instalments beginning in June BUT I would have to set up a direct debit.

I'm not happy with setting up a DD because I'm likely to be claiming benefits at some point as my long term assignment ends in 3 weeks and other work is very erratic. I don't want them taking the DD at times when I'm not working and the way they've dealt with things so far doesn't fill me with confidence!

Can they force me to set up a direct debit? I normally pay by debit card on the clowncil's website a few days before it's due and I've never missed nor been late with any payments. If I miss May's payment (paying the overpayment instead) would that mean that I would give up my right to pay by instalments? What are your thoughts?

[cymruambyth]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

I pay by debit card every month because the DD date isa couple of days before pay day! Why don't you set up the DD to cover the over payment and then cancel it to pay this year as and when?
My local council send testers if you are 12 days late and after 2 of these they threaten to remove the instalment facility.

[pompeyfaith]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

I never pay by DD always debit card via their online payment facility

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

I pay by debit card every month because the DD date isa couple of days before pay day! Why don't you set up the DD to cover the over payment and then cancel it to pay this year as and when?

I wondered about doing that but I didn't know if they'd be annoyed if I cancelled later.

My local council send testers if you are 12 days late and after 2 of these they threaten to remove the instalment facility.

I've never been late so I don't know what the procedure is. I don't want to risk them revoking the instalment facilty.

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

I never pay by DD always debit card via their online payment facility

Yes, that's how I always pay PF but she said I had to set up a direct debit.

[cymruambyth]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

You can't upset a machine! It is too expensive for them to take everyone to court who is a few days late. Once you cancel your DD they send a letter (not a predictive text tester!!!) which lists the amounts and dates; they only get upset if you are about 10 days late on more than once.

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

If I miss the May instalment for this year's bill to pay the overpayment then it would mean that I would always be a month late wouldn't it?

Edit: I've just checked the bill again and they've credited a payment from 2012-13 to the bill for 2013-14. Surely I can ask for this to be deducted from the overpayment figure?

[cymruambyth]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

Not if you get in writing what was aid about paying 10 months from June.

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

Update:

I emailed the clowncil to phone me and, after some persistent insistence on my part, they have agreed to deduct the payment that they'd credited to this year's bill from the overpayment. I've no idea where this payment came from because I've only made the payments that they've stipulated

After some more persistent insistence on my part they've agreed that I can pay the rest in 11 instalments using their online payments...we'd even got the same figure for the monthly payment...even though she was insisting that I'd agreed to pay by DD. She didn't like it when I said that I'd only cancel any direct debit they'd try to set up

So, all in all, I'm quite satisfied with the outcome, though it would have been far better if they'd sorted the discount out months ago.

[fluffystuff]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

Well done for being persistently insistent !

Pleased you got the result you wanted. X.

[Pixie]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

Well done for being persistently insistent !

Pleased you got the result you wanted. X.

I thought you might like that phrase

[fluffystuff]

Re: Anyone had their bill yet

I do indeed, perhaps I should adopt it myself!