Island Echo always welcome letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
Letter to the editor – 25th May 2022
“As a resident on this beautiful Island, I’m worried. Where is the promised £150 council tax rebate?
“I live in a category A Council Tax Band, I pay my Council Tax monthly by direct debit and I signed up to pay DD before March 25th as instructed. Island Echo reported on this on the 15th March and I did so on the very same day. There has been radio silence from the IOW Council on the matter and have had no communication from them whatsoever.
Article continues below this advertisement “I have emailed the council tax department four days ago, to which I have yet to receive a reply. None of my neighbours, or anyone I know has received help yet.
“I’m sure I don’t just speak for myself here, I’m struggling financially, my weekly/monthly budgets are at maximum, my weekly food budget is quickly being depleted, yet the price of everyday goods have increased 50, 60, 80 percent in some cases. For example, a bag of own brand filter coffee has increased from £1.20 to £2.00 in the space of 4 months.
“I am an unexpected bill, or an appliance breakdown, away from using a foodbank and in serious financial crisis.
“It’s not just the financial aspect of this crisis that is having an impact on everyone’s mental health. It’s the unable to register with an NHS dentist, it’s being unable to get an emergency NHS dentist appointment. It’s the waiting times for in patient treatment, It’s the lack of Mental Health Support. Shout out to Issoropia Foundation because without them a lot of us will be on our knees. It’s not being able to see a doctor and having to do most things online now. It’s the floating bridge being out of service every 2 mins and essential road works being done at peak times.
“I wish I had more faith in them, however even the basic of services like emptying public bins seems to be a struggle.
Article continues below this advertisement “Where is the help, where is the support? What are the council doing? If they are not already, then they should have all available manpower, from the top to the bottom, making sure you are supporting those most in need.
“Just the slightest bit of communication would help massively, just to manage expectations and ease the anxiety of the unknown. We were told April/May, we are one week away from June! What’s going on?
“We need serious change on this Island”.
C Taylor, Isle of Wight
Editor’s footnote: since receiving this letter, Island Echo has published an update from the Council (https://www.islandecho.co.uk/half-of-eligble-islanders-still-waiting-for-150-energy-rebate/). However, the authority advises it could be several more weeks until people receive their £150 rebate.
You are 100% correct about emptying bins. There’s been numerous wheelie bins overflowing with black bags on North Road pavement, Shanklin for years now and the IWC outright refuse (no pun intended) to deal with the issue.
As for the £150 rebate, well try missing a few monthly debits on your council tax
account and see if the IWC think it acceptable for you to settle by September. Probably not eh?
the current IWC administration is woefully inept and corrupt at just about every level. This is what happens when you have guaranteed job security, guaranteed salaries and zero oversight with zero disciplinary actions and zero redress.
Totally agree it’s makes me laugh has when it comes to being late with paying council tax you soon receive the letters from them saying late payment or we taking you to court they quick enough to take the money they owed. But when it comes to them paying out it’s a different story maybe the island residents should take them to court for non payment of 150 rebate
I got mine weeks ago(dd payer)
Emailing them gets you nowhere so dont rely on that method
Constant calling and persistance is all you can do im afraid.
Our useless chocolate fire guard council ovb have glitches they too slow at sorting
Now if YOU owed money…lol well thats another story
A letter fastest ever possible too your door demanding! Keep pestering them thell soon get fed up and then fo there job’s!
It’s our peoples right and necessity too recieve this £150 so council…sort it out
Received our letter on Thursday so they are out there somewhere.
The council do take forever! Holding back money they were given months ago?? What takes months to press a button??? Every penny counts? Exactly! When it’s in there pocket!
You get it after they have sat on the money for three months earnining lots of interest in there bank account.Just a bunch of crooks in disguise that council
I think the delay is probably due to the council incorrectly making payments to the higher band
that is not entitled to the pay out.. What a shambles!!
That’s discrimination everyone should be entitled to the rebate fair is fair
Are you not in the bands that get a rebate then ????
Take it up with the Council !!!!
Hear hear! I can second that! And as stated in the letter I’m sure alot more people that are in the same boat, come on iw Council where is out help that was promised? GIVE US OUR MUCH NEEDED MONEY, GIVE US BACK OUR NHS DENTIST’S!! STOP POCKETING THE MONEY GOVERNMENT GIVE YOU FOR US!!! as the rich get richer the poor get poorer!
What has the NHS Dentists got to do with the Concil
Just because a person lives in a band E doesn’t mean they are better off or earn more ,,, they just more selective on and save a bit and don’t p,,ss it up or spend on what they can’t afford it’s called priority living , so I’m saying all bands should get it
Should be means tested
Quite right!! I am a band E owner and have lived in the same house for over 40 years, so its value has increased, but I can’t spend that!! Receiving the old pension rate because I have paid in for far longer, 60 years of paying stamps in fact!! All bands should receive that particular payment!
They never promised it by end of May, and what has the lack of Dentists got to do with the Council?
I’ve had my 150 no problem whatsoever. Straight into my account. Not sure how the council are choosing, perhaps account numbers.
Well you wouldn’t have to struggle to get appointments if they didn’t permit so many houses to be built here, without supporting infrastructure
as for all available manpower…..perhaps you have to face the reality….if there weren’t so many spongers, then there would be more money available to provide additional support to genuine cases.
we have lived through nearly 40 years of virtually no real inflation at all….now it is back with a vengance.. this will get worse before it gets better
The IW Council managed to pay the £150 rebate to residents that did not qualify (Band E) and are asking for the money back.
The council don’t care about you or anyone else apart from themselves and the over paid pay packets paid to them from the tax payers.
Quick to take what they can but when it comes to giving its a very go slow process. They are all about grabbing.
Its a shame we can’t write what we really think about them on here.
Well said! Just remember this, come the next election.
On a positive note, a neighbour of mine in a E band property has had a £150 rebate!
Nail. Hammer. Head. IWC read this and hang your heads in shame. (altho I doubt this will even register as you clearly dont give a sh*t about anything).
Give them time, can’t give to everyone on same day
I know of someone who had to apply for a blue badge under the non visible disability criteria.
The whole process was discriminatory, and deliberately obstructive, to the point the individual concerned was pushed into a breakdown.
Letters were sent out with a limited response time, only the council waited over a week to send out said letters, and closed the case. This happend more than once.
They are accountable only to themselves, they are rude, arrogant, and uncaring of anyone apart from their own number.
Utterly disgraceful pigs, that no election seems to resolve.
So far 4 council employees have read this. And counting LOL.
I am terminally ill with cancer and last year I had reductions to my Council Tax due to this. This year however, because I have had my partner move in with me, having given up his job and home to become my full time carer I have had to reapply. My bathroom was altered to a wet room and fitted with disabled facilities in 2020 but this year i have to have a house inspection and to ensure I am in the electric wheelchair I’ve said I need! I have nothing to hide. I have paid the additional council tax from 1st to 31st March as he moved in on the 1st March. I have completed forms, telephoned and now awaiting a call to make the inspection! And no I haven’t received the £150 either!
I’m saddened that in your circumstances these beauracrats can treat you in such a manner and feel no shame.
I wish you all the very best, and hope you get someone new enough to council employment that still has an ounce of humanity left uncorrupted.
Yes, i noticed the increase in filter coffee, dear me if the Rebate doesn’t come through soon, i think i will have have to let the butler go! The maid has already gone, still, managed to find her a placement at Osborne House.
If only filter coffee was cheaper, life is becoming unbearable.
🙂 🙂 🙂
I fill you pain, well said
I knew we would have problems getting it back, and any delay as an excuse. I pay C.T with my on line account, and I have heared nothing either. Obviously victimized because they can’t dictate my bank account. I am going to start deducting £15 from each of my 10 monthly payments, lets see how quick they are to respond when it’s MY way round.
The Council notice board ,reads they have paid 50 per cent out so far !!!!!!!
Must be their super sonic computer system slowing them down !!!!!!!
Be even slower now we have the Jubilee Week / weekend !!!!!!
You lot have the intelligence of a banana. Stop pointing fingers if you can’t even be bothered to fact check your own BS.
NHS Dentists make more money going private nothing to do with the council. The council have a few more months to pay you out your £150 so stop being entitled and just wait your turn.
Sounds like you’ve got yours then already.
I had my money paid into my account about 2 weeks ago followed by aletter to confirm last week So no problems for me NOR my neighbours as got there’s as well.