Council tax will now swallow a third of pensioners' incomes

28/02/2008

Britain's biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has warned that today's survey by CIPFA that council tax is to rise in 2008-09 by an average of 4% will mean even more pensioners falling into poverty.
 
Joe Harris, NPC general secretary said: "This news will bring more misery to millions of pensioners who are already struggling to meet rising food and energy bills.

"The average Band D council tax of £1374 now represents around a third of a pensioner's spending. Council tax of £26.42 a week is around 30% of the £87.30 weekly basic state pension and this year's £52 rise in council tax will also swallow up a third of the £3.40 a week extra pension due in April.
 
"The government," he says, "has no solution to the unfairness of council tax, apart from asking pensioners to claim discredited means-tested benefits. This is not the answer, and we urgently need complete reform of the system that takes account of the ability to pay."