Sponsored by
Row over tax break for single people
IT MAKES NO SENSE ... says Coun Iain Malcolm.
A WAR of words over council tax has broken out between the leader of South Tyneside Council and a senior Government minister.
South Tyneside is one of several to have written to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, suggesting he should review the rule which gives single people a hefty discount of 33 per cent off their council tax bill.
Mr Pickles claims the move is part of an orchestrated Labour Party bid to “target the elderly, single mums and the most vulnerable”.
Coun Iain Malcolm, leader of South Tyneside Council, hit back, saying the Secretary of State was “playing politics”.
The tax review bid has enraged Edward Russell, vice-chairman of South Shields Conservative Association, who himself receives a discount.
Mr Russell, of Cauldwell Place, South Shields, said: “This discount was introduced by Michael Heseltine in 1980, and councils were originally provided with subsidies to cover the cost of it.
“Single people use fewer services compared to families, and the discount reflects this. It is quite appalling that the Labour-run council is supporting this move.
“From a personal viewpoint, it would increase my payment and those of about 70 per cent of people living in small flats near me.
“These councils aren’t going to get the Conservative-led coalition to budge on this, but I’m not sure what the legal implications are, and whether individual councils will be able to ‘opt out’ of the discount. It’s very worrying.”
Some council bosses are calling for the relief to be axed, while others recommend simply giving local authorities the power to reduce it as they see fit.
Coun Malcolm said: “I am afraid the Secretary of State is playing semantics and politics in relation to this issue.
“The council stated in our submission that it would not make sense to give councils limited flexibility around council tax benefit in order to push through the 10 per cent Government cut in funding they are demanding, without the ability to review all discounts and exemptions – including single person discount.
“The case was to review such discounts, not necessarily abolish them.”
He added: “This view was also expressed through the Association of North East Councils, which suggested the option of linking single person discount to income or council tax band.
“The Chartered Institute of Public Finance, as an apolitical body, also supported this stance.”
Mr Pickles said: “There is clearly a well-orchestrated campaign being run by the Labour Party to target the elderly, single mums and the most vulnerable.
“It’s bad enough that Labour ministers are opposing a council tax freeze for hardworking households, now we learn they want to punish people who have worked hard all their lives and paid their taxes, simply because they live on their own.
“There is a gross sense of injustice at hiking taxes that could force people out of their homes. This is a widows’ tax and shows how out of touch Labour are.”
Twitter: @shieldsgazette
Email to a friend
Print this page- Transfer Rumours May 22: Newcastle United, Sunderland, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, Wigan, QPR, West Ham and Blackpool
- Transfer Rumours May 12: Sunderland, Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham, Liverpool, Blackpool, Reading, Tottenham, West Brom
- Newcastle United weigh up bids for defensive duo
- Transfer Rumours update May 22: Sunderland, Newcastle United, Liverpool, West Ham United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and QPR.
- Transfer Rumours May 12: Sunderland, Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham, Liverpool, Blackpool, Reading
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Jarrow
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 15 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
hayley4315
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 02:05 PMPending Moderation
wasthatthatguy
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 03:28 PMDear Environmental Services, Your old wheelie bin is in your new wheelie bin. Your faithfully, That Guy
wasthatthatguy
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 03:21 PMAnd, if it is set on fire, I think I'll just let it burn. Then get a new wheelie bin to put it in.
wasthatthatguy
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 03:18 PMMy wheelie bin hasn't been set on fire yet. So :- 0 x £2k = £0 so far.
East Boldon Lad
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 06:40 PMTax to pay for local services should be levied upon individuals not buildings, LGO's, such as Environmental Health Officers and Librarians deliver services to people not buildings. The entire system of local finance needs a consumercentric rather than propertycentric overhaul. The realisation of the ultimate own goal of Pickles et al may well be that you pay a private business a fee for emptying bins,mending pavements, investigating your food related complaints etc in addition to paying taxes. Spending, salary, recruitment and resource freezes and cuts means that by 2020, there may be no such services as EHD's, Public Libraries, etc available from your local council. Extrapolate further, imagine having to pay £2K to the local fire service for extinguishing a fire in your wheelie bin, or a business paying EHD £2K for a routine inspection, report and stars on the doors. The "monkey hunt" is justified, how would you feel if your family members were being allegedly defamed and allegedly victimised by malicious falsehoods in relation to their vocation or employment and nothing was done about it? Freedom of speech and fair, reasonable criticism is one thing , allegedly malicious, anonymous cyber bullying is another matter altogether.
billy casper
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 09:52 AMeeee man the lads a comic is young mr malcolm,,he says" the secretary of state is playing at politics" i think you will find mr malcolm that this is politics,,,, unlike this game you and your cronies are playing wasting public money on monkey hunting, !!!
BoldonLad
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 09:09 AMThe old Rates system was just as fair or unfair, depending on your point of view, as the present Council Tax system. Virtually the only difference was the "banding". In the present Council Tax System, the band is based on the (notional) sale value of the property. In the old Rates system the band (or rateable value as it was called) was based on the Rental value of the property.
geordie999
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 10:05 PMthe old rates system seemed fair , cant remember it being hated as much as poll tax or council tax ......... we didnt get screwed as much .......why did a labour council welcome maggies much hated "poll tax" ? .
wasthatthatguy
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 08:45 PMWould it be better to tax people instead of properties? And everyone has to pay? Including housewives? Maybe that was what the Poll Tax was? I don't recall the details. Although I did pay it.
BoldonLad
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:18 PMAccording to the council's own website, the discount is 25% not 33%. There is also a list of other groups who may receive discounts. There are many areas where Council tax is not "fair", ie a couple with two grown up working children (with an income even at national average wage each) or over £100,000pa would pay the same council tax as a couple with only one earner (again based on national average wage) with £25,000pa. The whole point is that Council tax is not income based, it is based on the valuation band of the property you live in. It just so happens that (I believe) all council properties in South Tyneside (from 1 bedroom flats to 3 bedroom houses) are in band A, so they all attract the same rate of council tax.
geordie999
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 05:00 PMAnd how long has this bad deal for married couples went on ?...one wonders why its taken so long to speak up for us ......financial difficulties ahead for council ?
bohemianblogger
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:54 PMCouncillor earning 150K + living on own gets discount. Married couple living of 20K have to pay full whack. Not very fair now is it?
cla5hb0y68
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 03:59 PMPending Moderation
Hebburnlee
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:21 PMA question for Mr Russell - does a single person use fewer services than a couple who have no children?
geordie999
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 01:52 PMalthough not for the same reasons i agree with Coun Iain Malcolm as a married man i feel discriminated when it comes to council tax rebates .......single bloke earning same as me ..gets this discount whilst me ..married, wife housewife (traditonal role )...no discount on one wage , always got me peed off ......always will . bloody annoying ....and a rip off ....should have stayed single .like the rest of shields .
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.