[Merged] Prison for Council Tax Protest Pensioner

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4280040.stm

I know we have to pay our dues but this is just pointless.Some councils seem to have gone crazy with the increases they are asking for this year.

[punky]

If you willingly refuse to pay your taxes, I don't think age should come into it.

Some people retire at 50, so technically become pensioners (i.e. living off a pension... does that give them the right to not pay their taxes).

The law's the law, and we all have to pay taxes. I'd like to cherry pick the taxes I pay but unfortunately I can't. I don't see why older people should be able to either.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by punky

If you willingly refuse to pay your taxes, I don't think age should come into it.

Some people retire at 50, so technically become pensioners (i.e. living off a pension... does that give them the right to not pay their taxes).

The law's the law, and we all have to pay taxes. I'd like to cherry pick the taxes I pay but unfortunately I can't. I don't see why older people should be able to either.

But she wasn't refusing to pay her tax, was she? Just trying to get the point across that her pension had not increased at the same rate her couincil tax had - how on earth is she supposed to pay for it?

Originally Posted by punky

If you willingly refuse to pay your taxes, I don't think age should come into it.

Some people retire at 50, so technically become pensioners (i.e. living off a pension... does that give them the right to not pay their taxes).

The law's the law, and we all have to pay taxes. I'd like to cherry pick the taxes I pay but unfortunately I can't. I don't see why older people should be able to either.

Could you live on a pension when the local council has put up your tax by six times the increase to your fixed income?With the increases in gas,electricity,water to find as well.I am not looking forward to retirement at all.IF the pension was a decent one that took in account all the increases for all then I would have less sympathy.

[Angua]

Whilst I appaud her actions in standing up for her beliefs I am also acutely aware of how much the Goverment actually control the amount of council tax charged, both by deciding on what subsidy will be given (from business rates) and then setting a 5% cap. Councilors will soon to be concentrating on the period of juggling the books for next year.

Not to mention the extra workload of Licencing without any funding.

Originally Posted by punky

The law's the law, and we all have to pay taxes. I'd like to cherry pick the taxes I pay but unfortunately I can't. I don't see why older people should be able to either.

This isn't about choosing not to pay as such. It's about protesting about the ridiculous increases some councils have put on the tax.

She has paid her council tax, except the £53 pound increase.

In many cases the councils have increased the tax well above the general rate of inflation hence hitting pockets harder.

It was not so long ago my council tax was half what it is now. I can assure you that my income has not doubled in that time!

[punky]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Could you live on a pension when the local council has put up your tax by six times the increase to your fixed income?With the increases in gas,electricity,water to find as well.I am not looking forward to retirement at all.IF the pension was a decent one that took in account all the increases for all then I would have less sympathy.

There is a big difference with being unwilling to pay, and unable to pay. I thought I made that quite clear in my post. She falls in the former category.

If she genuinely can't afford to pay, then she would go to the council, and she follow the appropriate channels, and probably not pay it anyway.

About the pension side of things, I do think its terrible you contribute so much in taxes over the years, and the government gives you nothing back, but I also believe people should take responsibility and care for themselves. I have for years been taking steps to ensure when I am an OAP, I won't be living off tins of expired cat food.

She isn't destitute, she's refusing to pay it on principle. She should be dealt in exactly the same way as everyone else. Age and gender should not come into it.

[orangebird]

There was a very sad case in the news about 10 years ago, about a child dying from effects of physical abuse - the mother and stepfather were put on trial, but because it couldn't be pin pointed who actually struck the blow that killed the little girl, they both got off free.

Now, we've sent a pensioner to prison for not paying £54 worth of council tax. WTF is going on in this country???...

[Ramrod]

Good for her.
I think councils (and the govt) are far too cavalier about how they tax us (and how they spend our tax money)

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Good for her.
I think councils (and the govt) are far too cavalier about how they tax us (and how they spend our tax money)

Unfortunately local politics in the UK is in the main still far too closely connected to the national. The electorate is becoming more sophisticated, but too often local elections are settled on national issues. That means a Labour council administering a solid Labour heartland area - like a major metropolitan council for example - feels little obligation towards its hapless council taxpayers. They'll still vote Labour come polling day, even if it's a monkey wearing the rosette (and sometimes it is ). The same can of course be said for traditional Tory strongholds, such as the English shires.

There are happy exceptions to this; even socialist Liverpool eventually got fed up with its city council being run by militant idiots like Hatton and his cohort and voted Lib Dem, but in the main, I think we get the government we deserve. If we want to force councils to be cannier with our cash, we have to make them understand that we are prepared to vote them down.

And while I'm no fan of PR for Westminster (another topic entirely), I do think forcing PR along the Holyrood model would be very useful in our local councils. In the absence of some of the voters giving up their entrenched Party loyalties, it's probably the only thing that is capable of shaking up some of our more moribund one-party municipalities.

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by punky

There is a big difference with being unwilling to pay, and unable to pay. I thought I made that quite clear in my post. She falls in the former category.

If she genuinely can't afford to pay, then she would go to the council, and she follow the appropriate channels, and probably not pay it anyway.

About the pension side of things, I do think its terrible you contribute so much in taxes over the years, and the government gives you nothing back, but I also believe people should take responsibility and care for themselves. I have for years been taking steps to ensure when I am an OAP, I won't be living off tins of expired cat food.

She isn't destitute, she's refusing to pay it on principle. She should be dealt in exactly the same way as everyone else. Age and gender should not come into it.

No the government should redefine inflation to include the following things.

All compulsary taxes such as council tax
Housing costs
Petrol

Then salaries and benefits would be going up by a fair amount.

[littld]

My income has stayed pretty much the same for the last 3 years. My bills keep going up. I have to carry on living within my means. I don't see whay this woman should be allowed to get away with it. Before anyone starts defending the suffering pensioners, remember that young people today will almost certainly be worse off when they retire than pensioners are now.

why did she have to go to prison,don't they have bailiffs where she lives.
its just another example of the judicial system in this country,yobs and thieves get tagged, oap's get sent to prison.
but then again thats just what i've come to expect in blair's britain.

[MadGamer]

http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.asp...e=windows-1252

LONDON (Reuters) - A pensioner was jailed on Monday for refusing to pay her council tax to protest against the bill rising by more than the rate of inflation.

I really honestly dont know what to make of this.

What are they going to gain from this? This pensioner stood up for her rights and it stinks to high heaven that she's been jailed.