Social care levy is ‘Theresa May’s poor tax’, says council boss
The leader of Birmingham City Council said “regrettably” his council would probably have to impose the increase, but that it was “just a sticking plaster over something that needs major surgery”.
This is a Labour councillor saying he can see no choice other than to impose a tax on the poor, due to the machinations of the Conservative Government.
I know some readers believe that councils in this situation should bite into their reserves, or borrow the money. This Writer believes that is just kicking the can down the road – and the worms will come out sooner or later in any case.
Whatever they do, it seems some people will want to blame Labour for this Tory-imposed tax.
How can they be made aware of their mistake?
Ministers are expected to announce on Thursday that local authorities will be allowed to raise council tax 6% over the next two years to raise cash for elderly and disabled care.
It would see the average bill rise by nearly £100 over the next two years: a 3% increase to the average band D property amounts to an extra £45.80 a year.
John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, told Sky News that it was “just a further tax on the poor” in his city.
He added: “Margaret Thatcher had her poll tax, Theresa May is introducing a poor tax.
“Using council tax as a way to raise money for adult social care is a way that actually the poorest people in our big cities pay more.”
Source: Social care levy is ‘Theresa May’s poor tax’, says council boss
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The nastiness just goes on and on.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/shp/britishsociety/thepoorrev1.shtml
People and poverty
Leader of Birmingham Council is going to have to take me to court and sue me for this extra money because I refuse to support this corrupt government any more and no I don’t begrudge the money to the people that need it I begrudge becoming one of the JAM’s just because this killer government won’t do it’s damn job properly.
Feels like the Cons are using the Local Government route to act as their bully boys to collect contributions from local ratepayers rather than via taxation route. This transfers the public outcry responsibility directly to local councillors and away from the Government.
Yes. It’s still taxation but they get to blame the local council and whoever runs it (inevitably somebody other than Tories) for raising it.
The next step will be privatise the raising of taxes after all the public sector is incapable of doing anything according o the tories.
There is a VERY big problem trying localise paying for social care. The percentage needing care varies wildly from one area to another.
what do we pay all this council tax for ?,more of it been swallowed up by fat cat salaries,expenses,and gold plated pensions of those who administer it
its time the council tax was done away with altogether,more and more money for less and less services.its nothing but legalised robbery.
why aren’t there marches against it,like there were with Thatchers poll tax ?
That is not the only problem. Here in West Somerset we have the highest density of older people in England (33%) but also being a small rural area, we get the lowest LGA grants. This means older people on low incomes just above Council Tax Relief level are to be further taxed towards covering the cost of their own Social Care (because the Chancellor was blocked by Theresa May from funding this drain on the NHS in the Autumn Statement), despite having paid NI (insurance to cover costs of old age) and income tax throughout their working life, plus VAT, being forced to pay OTC prices for self-medication and paying exhorbitant transport costs to attend hospital appointments because of bus cuts, while still paying taxes on pensions, fuel, insurance and God knows what else, There’s only so much blood you can get from a stone, Mrs May, so is this the National fairness you promised when you seized power on the steps of No. 10 or is it just another move by the Nasty Party (like DWP sanctions) to kill us all off?