‘Stark reality’: more council tax to pay in Blackburn with Darwen

4:20pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in Blackburn

HUNDREDS of Blackburn with Darwen residents will have to pay around £200 council tax for the first time from April 1.

The new council tax benefit scheme being introduced by the borough will mean all but pensioners receiving the benefit and the most vulnerable will pay at least one-fifth of the full bill.

This means many of those on full discount for the council tax will pay 20 per cent for the first time. The cost of council tax for a Band A property, the lowest band, is £986.95.

All other recipients of the council tax benefit, who are not pensioners or in specific vulnerable groups, will pay more of the bill.

The change follows the government’s abolition of the national Council Tax Benefit scheme which required Blackburn with Darwen borough to introduce its own scheme which is due for approval on January 31.

The council is also proposing to remove some discounts enjoyed by owners of second and empty homes.

Councillor Andy Kay, executive member for resources, said: “The stark reality is that some people will have to pay more towards their council tax.”

Comments (8)

5:32pm Wed 30 Jan 13

woolywords says...

Someone living in a one bedroomed flat, paying £300 per month in rent, (with £200 of that being paid in Housing Benefit,) water, gas and electricity bills to boot, will now have to find something more to pay, from £71 per week Unemployment Benefits. This is on top of the cut in those benefits, in real terms of 1.5%, this next April, for all claimants.
With over 30 people chasing one job, paying minimum wages, in this town,
I can see the queues at these food distribution centres, growing beyond their ability to make an offer of food to most of them.
Less frontline Police Officers and PCSO's, fewer wishing to volunteer to be Specials, because of the high risk to personal safety and the general feeling within the ranks of being of low value to society as a whole.
Street lighting being turned off or left unrepaired for months of Winter nights, in order to save money.
If this isn't a recipe for disaster, then I don't know what is.
Someone living in a one bedroomed flat, paying £300 per month in rent, (with £200 of that being paid in Housing Benefit,) water, gas and electricity bills to boot, will now have to find something more to pay, from £71 per week Unemployment Benefits. This is on top of the cut in those benefits, in real terms of 1.5%, this next April, for all claimants. With over 30 people chasing one job, paying minimum wages, in this town, I can see the queues at these food distribution centres, growing beyond their ability to make an offer of food to most of them. Less frontline Police Officers and PCSO's, fewer wishing to volunteer to be Specials, because of the high risk to personal safety and the general feeling within the ranks of being of low value to society as a whole. Street lighting being turned off or left unrepaired for months of Winter nights, in order to save money. If this isn't a recipe for disaster, then I don't know what is. woolywords

8:26pm Wed 30 Jan 13

karltop says...

So, people essentially living for free might find things a bit difficult? So what? How about people working for a living, paying to support their own families, and then being forced to pay for these losers as well.

Woolywords indeed. (except you spelt it wrong )
So, people essentially living for free might find things a bit difficult? So what? How about people working for a living, paying to support their own families, and then being forced to pay for these losers as well. Woolywords indeed. (except you spelt it wrong ) karltop

2:05am Thu 31 Jan 13

english rose 1 says...

karltop wrote:
So, people essentially living for free might find things a bit difficult? So what? How about people working for a living, paying to support their own families, and then being forced to pay for these losers as well.

Woolywords indeed. (except you spelt it wrong )
Most of the benefit cuts affect those IN WORK ! Those IN WORK claim Council Tax benefit, tax credits, housing benefit, child benefit. The Govt is punishing those IN WORK as well as those out of work.
*
Whilst £millionaires get a tax-cut worth about £107,000 a year.
[quote][p][bold]karltop[/bold] wrote: So, people essentially living for free might find things a bit difficult? So what? How about people working for a living, paying to support their own families, and then being forced to pay for these losers as well. Woolywords indeed. (except you spelt it wrong )[/p][/quote]Most of the benefit cuts affect those IN WORK ! Those IN WORK claim Council Tax benefit, tax credits, housing benefit, child benefit. The Govt is punishing those IN WORK as well as those out of work. * Whilst £millionaires get a tax-cut worth about £107,000 a year. english rose 1

2:06am Thu 31 Jan 13

english rose 1 says...

karltop wrote:
So, people essentially living for free might find things a bit difficult? So what? How about people working for a living, paying to support their own families, and then being forced to pay for these losers as well.

Woolywords indeed. (except you spelt it wrong )
Most of the benefit cuts affect those IN WORK ! Those IN WORK claim Council Tax benefit, tax credits, housing benefit, child benefit. The Govt is punishing those IN WORK as well as those out of work.
*
Whilst £millionaires get a tax-cut worth about £107,000 a year.
[quote][p][bold]karltop[/bold] wrote: So, people essentially living for free might find things a bit difficult? So what? How about people working for a living, paying to support their own families, and then being forced to pay for these losers as well. Woolywords indeed. (except you spelt it wrong )[/p][/quote]Most of the benefit cuts affect those IN WORK ! Those IN WORK claim Council Tax benefit, tax credits, housing benefit, child benefit. The Govt is punishing those IN WORK as well as those out of work. * Whilst £millionaires get a tax-cut worth about £107,000 a year. english rose 1

8:42pm Thu 31 Jan 13

chris283 says...

all i can say is the courts will have there work cut out they will be full of people not being able to pay it then you have the scum bag bailiffs rubbing there hands for the money there going to make what is this country coming too sooner we get this puppet government out the better thats all i can say ukip will get loads of votes
all i can say is the courts will have there work cut out they will be full of people not being able to pay it then you have the scum bag bailiffs rubbing there hands for the money there going to make what is this country coming too sooner we get this puppet government out the better thats all i can say ukip will get loads of votes chris283

9:01pm Thu 31 Jan 13

chris283 says...

karltop stop talking so much crap you simple minded person
karltop stop talking so much crap you simple minded person chris283

12:29pm Sun 3 Feb 13

tombhoy says...

I could agree with this policy if people were choosing to live in social housing larger than their needs IF they were given the opportunity to move into smaller homes. The original post mentions someone living in a one bedroom flat paying more - this is not the case. Only people deemed to have 'extra' or 'spare' bedrooms will have their housing benefit cut under these proposals.
What I object strongly to is the way this 'spare' accommodation is being calculated. For example, divorced fathers who have weekend access to their children will not be allowed to have a room for the kids to sleep in - without losing housing benefit.
I could agree with this policy if people were choosing to live in social housing larger than their needs IF they were given the opportunity to move into smaller homes. The original post mentions someone living in a one bedroom flat paying more - this is not the case. Only people deemed to have 'extra' or 'spare' bedrooms will have their housing benefit cut under these proposals. What I object strongly to is the way this 'spare' accommodation is being calculated. For example, divorced fathers who have weekend access to their children will not be allowed to have a room for the kids to sleep in - without losing housing benefit. tombhoy

1:29pm Sun 3 Feb 13

louderfasterlonger says...

tombhoy wrote:
I could agree with this policy if people were choosing to live in social housing larger than their needs IF they were given the opportunity to move into smaller homes. The original post mentions someone living in a one bedroom flat paying more - this is not the case. Only people deemed to have 'extra' or 'spare' bedrooms will have their housing benefit cut under these proposals. What I object strongly to is the way this 'spare' accommodation is being calculated. For example, divorced fathers who have weekend access to their children will not be allowed to have a room for the kids to sleep in - without losing housing benefit.
More examples, infirm people with an extra room for relatives when they need help. A poor family who retain a room for their child who is at university. A widowed person who cannot bear to leave the house that had so many happy memories.
Those mentioned above will be well and trully screwed over for their perceived selfishness.
[quote][p][bold]tombhoy[/bold] wrote: I could agree with this policy if people were choosing to live in social housing larger than their needs IF they were given the opportunity to move into smaller homes. The original post mentions someone living in a one bedroom flat paying more - this is not the case. Only people deemed to have 'extra' or 'spare' bedrooms will have their housing benefit cut under these proposals. What I object strongly to is the way this 'spare' accommodation is being calculated. For example, divorced fathers who have weekend access to their children will not be allowed to have a room for the kids to sleep in - without losing housing benefit.[/p][/quote]More examples, infirm people with an extra room for relatives when they need help. A poor family who retain a room for their child who is at university. A widowed person who cannot bear to leave the house that had so many happy memories. Those mentioned above will be well and trully screwed over for their perceived selfishness. louderfasterlonger

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