Council tax

You should moan.....you paid for your pension. They're not doing you a favour paying it to you. You're entitled to it. They've changed the pension credit so that they can make the poor pay for the slight increase they gave to the even poorer rather than make sure the poor and the very poor have a rise.

Thanks very much, everyone. I'm going to apply for council tax reduction as they've sent the forms. I shouldn't moan, I know many others are worse off.

For some reason it didn't copy and paste the income for single pensioners......£148.50

They won't ask you what your previous income was. They'll only want to know what it is now. Put in a claim. The worst they can do is say no.

Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income if it’s below (for single people) or £226.50 (for couples).
https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/overview

Have a look at this website. It will help you find out if you're entitled to any extra benefits.
benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

I think the income levels are on the Ageuk website, apricot.

It's impossible to find out the income limits for Pension credit (I've tried). I'm afraid to apply for a Council Tax reduction in case it transpires that I've been slightly over the limit for years and have to pay back all the Council tax discount I've had for 5 years.
Pension Credit has been recalculated, I haven't inherited a fortune. I got only the Savings part because I've got very modest savings.

mollie55 I agree that council tax is now the biggest bill that I pay, like you, combining the others. Ours is going up "only" 2% and to crown it, we are to be charged for garden waste to be removed- at present this is "free".

apricot as Mishap stated maybe CAB can help you. It seems odd that the money was removed without an explanation and you have not won thousands or inherited a fortune. Mistakes do happen and with luck you will get the pension credit reinstated.

Please do go to CAB and get this decision checked out. They do make mistakes sometimes and your loss of pension credit may be challengable.

We pay a huge amount in council tax and the irony is that there is no street lighting or drainage round here. And the state of the roads is unbelievable - pothole after pothole. And the upkeep of the drainage systems only happens if you make a huge fuss. Our local children do of course get educated and we are happy to contribute to that; and we do get our bins emptied, though less often.

I think you should still get some help with council tax depending on your income
I also have to pay about 12% of my gross income in council tax (even with the 25% reduction for single occupancy) but get no help as I have 'savings' - in fact council tax is my biggest bill (even dwarfing the electricity/oil and water combined).
you may also find that other things will be denied you because the assumption is that once you are no longer on pension credit (perhaps because you go over the amount by a few pound) you are 'well off' and longer need cold weather payments, warm home discounts and the rest
let us hope they don't restrict our bus passes and winter fuel allowance to those on pension credit