Yet Another Broken Pledge.

[Canary42]

What a hopeless shower this Government is. Couldn't organise a Business Meeting in a Brewery.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61270840

[THECORBYLOON]

In the, "Support for energy bills - the council tax rebate 2022-23: billing authority guidance", issued on 23rd February, it states, "All Council Tax Rebate grants should be paid as soon as possible from April."

The guidance was issued about three week after the Chancellor said it would be paid, "in April", not "from April" so it appears the Government changed the date by which it had to be paid as soon as the guidance was issued.

[New Judge]

//Relying on local councils to actually give money back? That's a laugh. The most corrupt inefficient, wasteful, self serving organisations ever to be in the business of providing a service. I loathe paying them every single penny//

X2 (with knobs on)

Why on Earth the government would want to entrust such a task to a bunch of otherwise unemployable charlatans is a mystery. It’s a ten minute job to make the arrangements to pay £150 to all households in bands A-D.

Alongside the abolition of the GP service the government should seriously consider the abolition of all local authorities, from Parish Councils up to the so-called governments of the minor constituents of the United Kingdom. Both institutions are a colossal waste of money, produce no particularly valuable outcomes that could not be achieved by other means and have outlived their usefulness.

[dave50]

Absolutely spot on judge.

[THECORBYLOON]

"It’s a ten minute job to make the arrangements to pay £150 to all households in bands A-D."

You know that for a fact do you? What about those who don't pay their council tax by direct debit, how will they be paid?

[New Judge]

//What about those who don't pay their council tax by direct debit, how will they be paid?//

The "ten minute" job referred to the vast majority who pay by DD. And, yes, I do know it to be true because I have a close acquaintance who works in just such a department of my LA and he explained how it can be achieved in probably about that time.

For the non DD people, send them a cheque. Probably not much more than ten minutes for them as well. Taking months to achieve something that could be completed in an hour is par for the course for local authorities. Hence my suggestion they should be abolished.

[THECORBYLOON]

"I have a close acquaintance who works in just such a department of my LA and he explained how it can be achieved in probably about that time."

How would it be done?

[lankeela]

My local council have started paying it over the past few weeks, but it depends on what date your direct debit comes out and as mine is on 25th of the month mine will be paid a few days later than those who pay on say the 11th.

[THECORBYLOON]

The factsheet states, "If you live in an eligible property and you do not pay your council tax by direct debit, your local council will contact you from April to arrange a method for paying the rebate. You do not need to do anything in the meantime.

Claims for the rebate can be processed up until 30 September 2022."

Nothing there about just popping a cheque in the post.

[New Judge]

Simple computer code in the council tax collection system that identifies all Band A-D properties and the bank account associated with the direct debit by which the Council Tax is collected from that property. £150 credit to each of those accounts.

Companies arrange credits to their customers for all sorts of reasons day in day out. It ain't rocket science and no scientists are required. Just a person who knows her or his way round the collection system in each LA. But like everything else to do with LAs, delay, prevarication and obfuscation must come before any job can be done.

[Hymie]

NJ – so what do you propose to replace the GP system, I’d be interested in your ideas?

[Hymie]

It would not surprise me if the local councils were to ask central government for a ‘processing fee’ of £150 for each £150 rebate.

[New Judge]

//NJ – so what do you propose to replace the GP system, I’d be interested in your ideas?//

I've said before - pharmacies' responsibilities expanded so they can dispense many medicines without referral to a GP and a self-referral system where patients can refer themselves to somebody who knows what they are talking about in relation to their particular problem. That's virtually what there is now except that patients have to go through a "gatekeeper" (i.e. a GP) first before they can get treatment. The GP service is a colossal waste of money, serves no useful purpose that could not be achieved by other means and causes delay and additional suffering to patients. Since the pandemic it has become largely defunct anyway.

[Hymie]

It was Blair who gave our GPs a blank cheque for their services, which they duly wrote out for a minimum of £100k p.a.

[New Judge]

//It was Blair who gave our GPs a blank cheque for their services, which they duly wrote out for a minimum of £100k p.a.//

Indeed it was. Twice the money for half the work. Now is the time to withdraw that kind offer and dispense with their services. With any luck some of them will get a proper job in medicine healing the sick (after the appropriate retraining, obviously).