£2m funding in jeopardy for council tax benefits

Oldham Council meeting
Oldham will lose £2million worth of funding if controversial Government plans are introduced.

The Government is proposing to reduce its contribution to council tax benefits by 10 per cent.

Council cabinet member for finance, Councillor Abdul Jabbar said he “vigorously” contested the proposals and believed them to be the latest in a string of attacks by the Government on the “vulnerable”.

He said: “The winter fuel allowance has been cut, housing benefit has been scrapped and education maintenance allowance has been scrapped, child benefit has been frozen and for some will be cut.

“All these cuts amount to a systematic attack on the vulnerable. The latest proposals to cut the council tax rebate is profoundly unfair and unacceptable.”

A motion was raised in the council chamber by Liberal Democrat councillors, Jackie Stanton and Lynne Thompson, as reported in yesterday’s Chronicle.

Councillor Stanton said: “I hope we will use whatever means we can to let the Government know we are united as a council and we will oppose in the strongest terms the plans to change the system of helping people on low incomes with their council tax.

“I feel this is an issue that should be above the tiresome practice of political point scoring we all engage in from time to time.”

The motion was carried to contest the flat rate reduction.