Bloody Bureaucracies

[andrewducker]

So, I moved house recently, and that means sorting out council tax for my new place. they sent me a request for the final 2 months of lastyear, so I knew they knew I lived here, and I waited for the forms to come through telling me how to pay by direct debit for this year. And waited. And forgot about it. And received a demand for all £1059 in a lump sum.

So I phoned them up and explained I'd never had the direct debit letter, and they were very understanding and sent me a direct debit form to fill out, which I did.

And then last Friday I got a letter through telling me they'd be taking £150 out each month for the next 6 months, which was just fine.

And then last Saturday I got a letter with the words "Final Demand" on it for £1059.

So I called them today, spent 10 minutes on hold and discovered that their computer systems are down and that without them they can't tell me anything.

They expect the systems to be back up again by midday...

Sigh,

Comments

[allorin.livejournal.com]

Given the 400 billion pound tax system we currently have running in this country, you have to wonder just how much more money it would take in our for government run agencies (Councils, DWP, Employment Services and so on) to offer the same level of service and competence that private firms do.

[andrewducker]

Well, you wouldn;t have thought that the way council tax was dealt with varied so much by area that they couldn't do it all centrally, which would save money and be a lot mroe efficient.

[allorin.livejournal.com]

P.S. As I'm likely to be bored today, I fully expect a rash of LJ updates from yourself to keep me amused.

[andrewducker]

Sorry, off to buy tiles and grouting/adhesive :->

Back in a couple of hours, I suspect.

[mfree.livejournal.com]

I'd compare the postmarks on friday's and saturday's letters... likely sat's letter was sent first and held up for some/any reason.

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

Lat time I spoke to Edinburgh Council about such matters, their system had been down for over a week. I was gob-smacked... If that had happened in my work, most of our staff would now be clutching their P45s, but the woman reported it in a kinda matter-of-fact happens-all-the-time sort of way.

Do keep on top of it however - Edinburgh Council has now taken on a policy of farming out overdue debts to Solicitors quite quickly. 'course once they've passed it on, they refer you to the solicitors even if they shouldn't have passed it on in the first place. Hit head off wall and repeat.

[andrewducker]

Of course, their phone is now engaged...

shite hawks

[davecleghorn.livejournal.com]

I know this wont be any consolation, but the Dept who deal with Glasgow Council Tax are also a shower of useless, disorganised, unsympathetic, shite hawks, who send final demands for over £1K after failing to send you out the appropriate forms for the past year.

[rainstorm.livejournal.com]

edinburgh council are complete cunts when it comes to council tax. both my brother and i have had numerous problems with them demanding money we didn't owe them (houses of students only don't pay council tax and despite being told they were full of students, tax was demanded.). it took a while before they gave in.

*growls*