High council tax and rates rises are driving many of the UK's pensioners into poverty. Many older people are forced to choose between paying their Council Tax or paying for heating, clothes and food yet the government has been slow to act. We want to know your views.

The CT is unfair because it has to be paid, not according to your income, but by how much the pile of bricks that you live in is (theoretically) worth. The government is running away from changing this and keeps finding excuses to delay (or avoid) making changes. Typical of this government's behaviour over everything that affects old people.

You say high council tax rises are driving people into poverty and people are having to make choices.  What happens when high heating bills, as highlighted in my post below, are factored into the equation?  What would you rather choose - pay Council Tax, pay for heating, or for food and clothes? 

We are now paying £30 a month more for gas than we were this time last year.

Council Tax set to rise and fuel bills drastically increased!

 I am particularly annoyed that higher fuel costs means that the VAT charged is also more.  eg a £50 bill would have had £2.50 VAT added but if the bill now is £70 due to the increases then the VAT goes up to £3.50. And most people's bills are a lot more than £70 so even more cash is taken in VAT. Then mulltiply these extra sums for every household in the country four times a year.

The Government seem to be keeping very quiet about this windfall.

 Surely with everyone paying more VAT into the kitty it should be possible to use some of the extra cash to increase the £200 Winter Fuel payment to £300.  I think it is immoral not to do so but I doubt the Chancellor or PM would see it like that.

Help the Aged is campaigning for the reinstatement of the £200 rebate. Read more about this, and use our online form to email the Chancellor, on the Council Tax page in Campaigns and issues > Pensions and benefits.

Kate
New Media Team, Help the Aged

You are quite right, Doris.  Government MPs and the like are keen to get into the media to complain about the fuel companies taking extra profits through higher charges, but not a word about Gordon Brown taking more money from pensioners by collecting more tax on the fuel we use.  As usual, hypocrisy rules!

This Government has done all in its power to do away with marriage and family life.

They now want to make us all poor so we can't survive on the pittance of state pension and will tax us to extinction.

 

Gerry..... I thoroughly agree with you!

 

but how can we fighht back.....?

 

Dear Doris..... Perhaps there could be a lower rate of VAT for those on a pension...... or perhaps.... dare I say it... a REFUND of VAT for pensioners  ?

Council tax based on property can never be acceptable.  If the new system being introduced in Northern Ireland, again based on the value of property, in NI .72% per £1,000 of property value, comes to the mainland, many of us will be pushed even further into poverty. We, at the Isitfair Campaign have had several meetings with Sir Michael Lyons and there seems to be little that will help the council tax payer.  Be assured that we will continue to call for council tax reform based on the ability to pay from income

Perhaps it is time to take positive action, like puting up our own non party political independant pensioner candidates for the local elections and indeed parliament. After all if government wants to isolate pensioners from the rest of society by taxation then we should adopt the well known slogan No Taxation without Representation. and pensioners should then vote for pensioners at the apropriate time. and put aside their previous political colour. Pensioners must learn to turn old age into a weapon.

Given the council tax was introduced after the new human right law, is it not questionable weather it complies with this act, as it is not based on ones ability to pay?

second point instead of one old person refusing to pay the council tax and being sent to prison, why not have a month of action when thousands of old people refuse to pay, given the prison overcrowding it is unlikly this lot would put old people inside?

The governments only interest in pensioners is when they throw a few crumbs our way,hoping for our vote.Us pensioners are the most likely of the electorate to cast our vote.

Politicians should be made acutely aware that we want and need better care and consideration.

As for the council tax,I am all for a little civil disobedience and our refusal to pay,that' the only way that they will sit up and take notice,after all,what could they do to us all.

Softly,softly just doesn't work i'm afraid.Britains pensioners are the poorest in Europe.

Forgot to say that,incidentally,despite peoples hatred of the poll tax,it was indeed a very fair system.

Why should a pensioner living alone,pay the same c.t. as the folk next door,who are three working adults.

I am aware of the 25% discount for single occupants but it is still grossly unfair.