Council係乜？負責啲乜？點至唔駛俾Council Tax？

黎到英國後發現，絕大部份嘅野都同Council有關。登記入學、Social Care，交通事項，收垃圾等等都係Council負責，有乜都係搵Council。咁點知自己係邊個Council呢？可以透過以下網址查詢：

https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

英國大部分嘅地方都會有兩個Council，大啲嘅County Council（眼盲嘅我睇咗好多次都冇發現唔係Country， 係County LOL），同細啲嘅District/ Borough/ City councils，負責嘅嘢都會唔同。咁Check清楚自己住嘅地方係搵邊一個Council就包冇甩拖喇！

County Council多數會負責：
教育、運輸、規劃、消防與公共安全、社會關愛、圖書館、廢物管理、交易標準

District/ Borough/ City councils就多數負責：
垃圾收集、回收利用、Council Tax、住房、規劃應用

如果係住係Nottingham City Centre，就只係由一個Council負責 – Nottingham City Council。

以West Bridgford為例子

所以如果我地要搵學校就要睇返Nottinghamshire Council，但俾Council Tax/倒垃圾嘅詳情就要睇返Rushcliffe Borough Council。好多好多Local嘅資料都可以係Council網站到睇到，所以有咩唔明上去Search就可以喇。

有關Council Tax

Council Tax bandings

要俾幾多錢係根據Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs (HMRC)嘅Valuation Office Agency (VOA)評估。而個評估係根據1991/04/01時樓價而定嘅，一共有8個Band。

Band A – Property worth up to £40,000.
Band B – Property worth over £40,000 and up to £52,000.
Band C – Property worth over £52,000 and up to £68,000.
Band D – Property worth over £68,000 and up to £88,000.
Band E – Property worth over £88,000 and up to £120,000.
Band F – Property worth over £120,000 and up to £160,000.
Band G – Property worth over £160,000 and up to £320,000.
Band H – Property worth over £320,000.

可以直接係呢到用Postcode查屬於Band幾 – https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands

同一條街都有幾個唔同嘅Council Tax Band咖！而且Council下每一個Area同一個Band都會唔同價錢。

邊個要俾Council Tax？

• 年滿18歲或以上，擁有或租住房屋
• 至少2名成年人居住在房屋中，都需要支付Council Tax。 （共同生活嘅配偶同伴侶會共同負責支付Council Tax）

如果Meet到以下條件，更加可以享受25％的帳單減免

• 一個人住
• 家中沒有其他人可以算作成人

如果沒有任何人成年人*屋住，甚至可以獲得50％的折扣。
如果家中嘅每個人（包括您）都是全日制學生，更加無需支付任何Council Tax。

**如何介定不是成人

• children under 18
• people on some apprentice schemes
• 18 and 19-year-olds in full-time education
• full-time college and university students
• young people under 25 who get funding from the Skills Funding Agency or Young People’s Learning Agency
• student nurses
• foreign language assistants registered with the British Council
• people with a severe mental impairment
• live-in carers who look after someone who is not their partner, spouse, or child under 18
• diplomats

另外亦都有傷殘優惠或一啲Support Scheme，更多詳細資料可以Refer：https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/who-has-to-pay

不過總括黎講，如果一家幾口過黎租屋買樓就走唔甩Council Tax咖喇。但Council負責好多野，有做野而我地又需要用啲服務嘅情況下收Council Tax都好合理嘅。

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