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The Lancashire Telegraph
News, sport and entertainment from all over East Lancashire
Council tax benefit to be slashed in Burnley and Pendle (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Council tax benefit to be slashed in Burnley and Pendle
11:00am Saturday 22nd December 2012 in News
COUNCIL tax benefit is set to be slashed by up to 20 per cent for working-age claimants in Pendle - and eight per cent in neighbouring Burnley.
The Pendle scheme has been condemned as a ‘fundamental attack on the poor’, as 4,900 wait to hear the new charges they will face in 2013, which could be around £150 per year.
Burnley’s alternative has been tempered by using a transition grant, offered by the government, and income from reforms to council tax payments for empty homes.
Coun Joe Cooney, Conservative leader of Pendle Council, described the authority’s plans as ‘fair and reasonable’ - and supported by a public consultation exercise.
But Coun Mohammed Iqbal, Pendle’s Labour group leader, said: “This is a fundamental attack on the poor and vulnerable working-age people of Pendle.
“Even an extra £2.74 per week is not insignificant for people who are on the poverty line and has no prospect of work. The Tories and Liberal Democrats should be ashamed of themselves Coun Ann Kerrigan, a Lib Dem, added: “What frightens me about this it is not rewarding people who work, it is punishing people who cannot find work.”
Introducing Burnley’s scheme, Coun Mark Townsend said it was apparent, from consultation work, that the majority felt working age claimants should pay at least something towards their council tax bill.
He told a full council meeting that a hardship fund would also be created to consider requests for assistance from the worst-hit households. Around 7,000 claimants are affected.
Coun Anne Kelly (Lib Dem), said that an extra £3 per week payment for council tax would not mean families going hungry or children going to school without shoes “I think there are very few families that will not be able to find £3 per week. But I think that there could a problem with collections for very small amounts,” she added.
Coun Marcus Johnstone said that the extra payments followed government moves to place more people on cheaper job seekers allowance payments and the prospect of a new ‘bedroom tax’ for under-occupied homes.
Comments are closed on this article.
Comments (16)
11:55am Sat 22 Dec 12
frank says...
well a tory would say that wouldn't they.
they really do despise anyone who doesn't have a seven figure bank account don't they?
2:01pm Sat 22 Dec 12
doctor1970 says...
3:42pm Sat 22 Dec 12
oh give it a rest says...
3:58pm Sat 22 Dec 12
oh give it a rest says...
Great Britain and its people need to come first, why cant you lot not see this or do you chose NOT TO...Try watching the television reports on Food Banks, poverty etc, instead of knocking back your drinkies in the bar.
4:01pm Sat 22 Dec 12
english rose 1 says...
*
About 75% of Council tax goes towards paying for these 2 services.
6:15pm Sat 22 Dec 12
Return of the Magnificent se7en says...
11:21pm Sat 22 Dec 12
Black Car Guy. says...
7:41am Sun 23 Dec 12
alldaylong says...
What a sad country we have become, there are genuine people out there who a struggling and all this government can do is drum up enough hatred for anyone who claims anything from the state, just start thinking all you people who are just about paying your bills and trying to make your neighbours think you are doing well one of these days it could be you!
10:07am Sun 23 Dec 12
DaveBurnley says...
Unfortunately it's not just council tax, it's increases all round, this is just the final straw.
12:50pm Sun 23 Dec 12
Begbie says...
4:53pm Sun 23 Dec 12
BIG BOSS says...
11:22am Mon 24 Dec 12
2 for 5p says...
£3 a week oh what a lot of money that's just slightly less than 10 fags.
12:21pm Mon 24 Dec 12
HecticBigBoy says...
12:25pm Mon 24 Dec 12
HecticBigBoy says...
For Gods sake, get our own economy sorted, get Britain back to being Great and stop making it the welfare state for Asians, East Europeans and any other nation that realises its the great handout state.
4:06pm Sat 29 Dec 12
HairyBowls says...
4:09pm Sat 29 Dec 12
HairyBowls says...