Council Tax Advisors predicts public outrage at the Local Government Association (LGA), which is seeking to abolish the 25% council tax discount given to single person households.
The LGA, the national voice of local government, works with councils to support, promote and improve local authorities.
Following the abolition of council tax benefits and the creation in its place of Council Tax Support in April, the number of people struggling with council tax arrears has increased.
As reported in The Daily Mail, Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, referred to the potential removal of the discount as the ‘Bridget Jones tax’. According to The Daily Mail, more than seven million people are thought to receive the 25% discount. Abolishing it is likely to incur the anger of people living alone, who, typically, would see their council tax bill increase by an estimated £30 a month for a Band D property.
Chris Richards, MD and Founder of Council Tax Advisors, says, “Taking away the 25% council tax discount for single occupants will hit the most disadvantaged parts of Britain hardest. The cutback of funding in cash terms will be more drastic in areas where council tax benefit spending is higher.”
Council Tax Advisors recently predicted a 10% rise in the number of people falling behind with their council tax as a result of the elimination of Council Tax Benefits in April 2013. It also believes that the number of debtors vulnerable to bailiff action will increase by around 25%. Despite this, the LGA is calling for councils to be given full and unconstrained local powers to vary all council tax discounts, including the single person’s discount.
