Carers set to be hit hard by tax relief cuts
CARERS are set to be hit by a council tax shake-up that could see them almost 20 per cent worse off.
Under the proposals, a carer for a disabled family member will lose about £210 a year in council tax relief when borough and district councils take control of the discount scheme next year.
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Paul Piper, 52, of Bellfield Road has criticised Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for proposed council tax benefits cuts
Both Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council plan to reduce the amount of council tax support by 18.5 per cent.
The only group protected from the increase is pensioners.
Paul Piper of Bellfield Road, Pembury, a full-time carer to his 10-year-old autistic daughter, believes people in his situation should be protected from the cuts.
He said: “It is unfair. People don’t appreciate what you have to spend money on when you have a disabled child. We have lots more costs we have to pay for and the £10 a month we would lose under these plans is a lot of money.
“There are other people in society who are vulnerable, not just pensioners.
“Every couple of months we need to put in a new floor in our daughter’s room. They don’t understand the individual problems and costs people can have.”
Currently, the Government decides who is eligible for council tax relief and how much people are entitled to, but local authorities will control how it is handed out from next year.
Councils will get 10 per cent less funding and face a choice to take the financial hit or pass the cuts onto taxpayers.
Councils in Sevenoaks and Tonbridge and Malling are proposing the same 18.5 per cent cut, but in Maidstone there will only be a 12 per cent reduction in council tax support.
Mr Piper said it was “crazy” Maidstone residents could get better relief than people in Tunbridge Wells.
He added: “I don’t think the council should have been put in this position by the Government but now they are, they need to be fair.”
Chief executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council William Benson told a meeting of the cabinet: “It’s important we don’t lose the bigger picture, it’s a huge and significant change.
“It is not a good option but is a least worse option. This is a very difficult choice. It is important people are given a lot of time.”
Finance and governance portfolio holder James Scholes said the proposal was “the best we can achieve” in the circumstances.
The proposals will go to consultation, with the final decision to be made later this year.
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Carers-set-hit-hard-tax-relief-cuts/story-16642679-detail/story.html
