Harlow Council’s Council Tax “public consultation”: The Public Said “NO” But Steve Freeman Says “YES” Tell the Councillors to say “NO” See the latest post on benefitrebels.blogspot.co.uk Harlow Council launched a “public consultation” on its Council Tax Support scheme for the financial year 2014-2015. The results have been published. We were asked: Do you agree that Harlow Council should retain its current scheme for the next financial year? 38% said “Yes” 56% said “No” However, Simon Freeman, Head of Finance on Harlow Council, recommends that Councillors agree to continue the present scheme next year. In the Annual Review of Local Council Tax Support Scheme Freeman admits that only 38% of the responses to the public consultation agreed that the Council should retain the current scheme, but EVERY one of the five people he then quotes supports the scheme. (See Section 12). In Section 13 of the report Freeman says Unfortunately there have been a number of responses which have made suggestions regarding the future scheme which the Council cannot consider These have included proposals for the Council to reinstate a fully funded scheme, and proposals for the Council to set a deficit budget… In other words, the Council can only consider the views of those who agree with it! When Henry Ford’s company first began mass-producing cars he said that you could have any colour you liked, as long as it was black. Steve Freeman has taken a leaf out of Henry Ford’s book: he will take account of the views of the public, as long as they agree with him. However, Steve Freeman is merely an employee of the Council. It is the Councillors who decide. Harlow Council’s Resources, Housing and Governance Overview Working Group meets next TUESDAY (19 November) to make a recommendation as to whether the Localised Council Tax Support scheme should continue in its present form. If you have not done so already, we urge you to email the members of the Working Group to tell them to take notice of the Council’s public consultation, abandon the present scheme, and reinstate 100% Council Tax relief for jobless householders, including restoration of the £16,000 savings limit. BELOW is a list of the members of the Resources, Housing and Governance Overview Working Group, and their email addresses. UNDERNEATH THAT are some notes on the local scheme, that you can use in your email. Forward any replies that you receive from councillors to our email account: [email protected] * * * Councillor Waida Forman [email protected] Councillor Jacqui Cross [email protected] Councillor David Carter [email protected] Councillor Simon Carter [email protected] Councillor Nick Churchill [email protected] Councillor Mike Danvers [email protected] Councillor Manny Doku [email protected] Councillor Muriel Jolles [email protected] Councillor Dennis Palmer [email protected] Councillor Daniella Pritchard [email protected] * * * Notes on Harlow Council’s Localised Council Tax Support Scheme A report by the Resolution Foundation found that 28% of local authorities in England had chosen to absorb central government cuts in Council Tax Support, rather than demand payment from those not in employment. Jobless householders who live in areas such as Harrogate or Bristol continue to receive 100% Council Tax relief. The level of cuts in Council Tax relief is dependent upon where a person lives. Government guidelines suggested that local authorities should charge jobless householders no more than 8.5% of their council tax liability. East Herts Council charges 8.5%, as does Uttlesford. Epping Forest council charges 20% and Broxbourne 20% (while also continuing to exempt the sick and those with disabilities). Harlow Council is charging 24%. Jobseekers Allowance for a single person under 25 is £56.80 per week. Those living in Band A homes in Harlow are expected to pay £3.58 per week, and those living in Band C homes are expected to pay £4.77 per week. In other words, Harlow Council is demanding between 6.3% and 8.4% of the weekly benefit of young single householders. For single unemployed householders over the age of 25 living in Band A, B, or C accommodation, the loss of benefit is between 5.0% and 6.6%. Council Tax Benefit was available to unemployed workers with savings less than £16,000. Under Harlow Council’s Localised Council Tax Support scheme, this limit was reduced to £6,000. A worker resident in Harlow who becomes unemployed and happens to have savings of more than £6,000 is now expected to pay 100% Council Tax. In other words, Harlow Council decided to impose a cut of between 24% and 100% in Council Tax relief for jobless householders. Of 3,754 in receipt of maximum Council Tax Support on 15 October, 1,232 were liable for the full amount of their bills, having failed to pay on time, and thus lost the right to pay in instalments. Between June and October this year 913 jobless householders in Harlow were issued with court summonses for non-payment of Council Tax. In consequence, £3.60 per week is being deducted from the subsistence benefits of some of the poorest people in the town – including those with disabilities, the sick, and the terminally ill. That one third have defaulted on their bills indicates that jobless householders are simply too poor to afford to pay any Council Tax. The introduction of Harlow’s Localised Council Tax Support scheme has been one of the factors fuelling the 54% increase this year in the number of people forced to beg for food from Harlow Foodbank. The current scheme is clearly failing. Harlow Council’s current Localised Council Tax Support Scheme is fundamentally unjust in that it contradicts the principle of progressive taxation, that those most able to pay should bear the greatest burden. I ask you to support the restoration of 100% Council Tax relief for jobless householders in Harlow, including the reinstatement of the £16,000 savings limit.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 16:13:33 +0000