[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Angua

As for the range of payments I was basing it on this area with fairly small differences between each band.

According to your profile you live in Cameron's constituency, which is West Oxon. West Oxon District Council's average charge for a Band A property is £831 and £2519 for a Band G property. More than a 'few hundred pounds'.

Originally Posted by Angua

Pensioner couples get no discounts unless they are in receipt of a means tested benefit, only single occupants get a 25% discount and this applies regardless of age or income. Is it just that people who have worked hard all their lives and finally bought the house of their dreams have to sell up and move because they can't afford the council tax?

Actually pensioners receive a windfall payment irrespective of income/savings from central government....but I take your point. However there's nothing to suggest it would be any different any other way...those pensioners with a little money put away will be paying Income Tax anyway.

Originally Posted by Angua

Childless couples do not get the benefit of schooling for their children nor are they likely to be making use of social services. Admittedly under poll tax the hardest hit were households with several adults again these would also be like childless couples making little use of council services, however this has been mitigated by the introduction of council tax.

So are you proposing a cherry-picked services form of taxation? You only pay for what you use? So childless couples are quite happy not funding education but those who do have children have to pay double to send their child to school? I think this is not only unfair but also virtually unworkable.

Originally Posted by Angua

As for the Highways this area must be getting very short shrift from the Government as the state of many roads and pavements locally are appalling and the frequency of maintenance has dwindled alarmingly.

I think this is pretty irrelivant to the discussion as we're talking about what the Council Tax is spent on as a whole and what other sources of funding are forthcoming.

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Recently the bottom rate of income tax was announced to be dropped and during the past decade the amount of tax paid by income tax has been steadily dropping, this is not a good thing. Within 2 years low earners income tax will double, NI isnt strictly income based like income tax is.

I'm not sure what you're using to base this argument on, but the amount of money collected by R&C is increasing not decreasing: Source

Income Tax Income 07/08 - £157bn National Insurance £95bn
Income Tax Income 06/07 - £144bn National Insurance £90bn
Income Tax Income 05/06 - £138bn National Insurance £83bn

National Insurance is strictly income based to each of the thresholds, 11% then 1% Source