Hundreds of Bassetlaw pensioners missing out on council tax help
Low-income households and pensioners in England can apply for a discount or exemption on their council tax under the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
In Bassetlaw, 3,555 pensioners were claiming support in the three months to December, Government figures show.
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That was a 19 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2015, meaning 809 fewer people were receiving the help.
But Turn2us, a charity which helps people in financial hardship, says vulnerable households are struggling to navigate an increasingly complex and confusing support system.
Varuk Kanish, campaigns manager at the charity, said: “The localisation of council tax support schemes has increased the complexity of an already confusing system, resulting in more people missing out.”
Fewer working-age people were also claiming council tax support in Bassetlaw last year, although the number has fallen less sharply than in the case of pensioners.
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Between October and December, 4,198 working-age people claimed a discount on their tax, down from 4,691 in 2015 – an 11 per cent drop.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: “Councils in England will have access to £49.2 billion next year – the biggest annual real-terms increase in spending power in a decade.
“People having difficulty paying their council tax should talk to the billing authority about their situation.”