Council tax reassurance for people living alone

OLDHAMERS who live alone have been reassured their council tax bills are not set to soar.

Fears were raised that Labour-run councils across the country were due to scrap the single person discount of 25 per cent.

The change could mean annual bills rocketing by almost £360 for those in the average Band D homes.

But councillor Abdul Jabbar, cabinet member for finance and resources, has said that no firm plans have been put in place and change will not be happening soon.

He said: “Oldham Council — along with all other local authorities — was asked for an initial view by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) as part of its consultation exercise on the localisation of council tax benefit.

“I want to be absolutely clear here that we haven’t come to any firm view on this matter — we merely submitted an initial response.

“I want to reassure residents that we’ve also made no provision whatsoever to implement ending the Single Person Discount in our forward budget planning.”

It follows a front-page report published in the Sunday Express that said widows and divorcees would be hit hard by the tax that would make them pay the same rate as couples or households with several working adults.

The idea has come out of Government consultation on how to save 10 per cent on council tax benefit.

Oldham treasurer Steven Mair was also quoted in the Express story.

Councillor Jabbar said: “The quote used in the Sunday Express is taken out of context and — crucially –— at no point in our submission did we state that the Single Person Discount ‘should go’.”

“As a council we would also clearly seek to protect our most vulnerable residents, like pensioners, from the impact of any changes that are proposed by Government.”

Eight million households currently claim the discount.