Council Tax Discounts for Pensioners?

2.08.57pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 29th Oct 2003

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland has joined the debate about proposals to limit the Council Tax increases to be paid by pensioners.

Kent County Council, who put up Council tax last year by over 12% are exploring way to peg next year's Council tax increase to the rate of inflation for pensioners but at the expenses of everyone else who will have to pay more.

Councillor Sunderland said:

"The problem with Council Tax is that it is unfair and unaffordable. It is unfair because it is based on a long outdated valuation of your home, not your income. It has nothing to do with how old you are. The Government itself has admitted 'Council Tax has reached the limit of affordability' - that is for everyone on low incomes, not just pensioners."

"Hard-working poorer families will end up paying more Council Tax so that more well off pensioners can get a rebate; literally robbing the poor to pay the rich."

"The solution to the Council Tax problem is not difficult. We should pay according to our income. The tax would be collected through the PAYE system; doing away with separate Council Tax bills."

"In the short term, if we want to reduce the burden on hard-up pensioners then the Government should pay, not low income families."