Campaign launched to improve uptake of council tax benefit

The Government has launched a campaign encouraging pensioners in England, Scotland and Wales to check if they are paying too much council tax.

Adverts in the national press carry the message 'cut your council tax – find out if you should be paying less.'

Government figures show that pensioners are missing out on an average £426 in benefits payments towards their council tax bills and four out of ten pensioners fail to apply for Council Tax Benefit as £750 million pounds goes unclaimed by pensioners each year. Additionally, less than half of all homeowners, many of whom are pensioners, are claiming the money to which they are entitled.

Some pensioners are missing out on a 100% rebate, on top of which they may be due arrears back to last January, bringing a possible extra cash windfall.

Council Tax Benefit Minister Chris Pond said: "My message to pensioners is don't pay more than you need to. If you are entitled to Council Tax Benefit, I want you to get every penny owed."

Mr Pond said that it was crucial that central and local government and voluntary organisations worked together to "ensure that pensioners get the money they deserve".

"Claiming is easier than ever; we've made the claim form shorter and new rules mean once you’ve successfully applied for Council Tax Benefit you don’t have to re-apply every year," he said.

Cllr Sir Jeremy Beecham, vice chair of the Local Government Association, said: “We know council tax impacts on low income groups the hardest and benefit is a way of reducing that tax."

Stressing that the benefit was not "a handout", Sir Jeremy added: “Although the LGA looks to the longer term solution of local government financial reform, encouraging and supporting vulnerable groups to claim the benefit they are owed is something both local and central government can help to deliver now. As such this latest campaign cannot come soon enough and I know local councils will continue to do all they can to support it.”

Raising awareness of Council Tax Benefit, flyers, leaflets and posters are to be made available to over 20,000 organisations that deal with older people and to all local councils in England, Scotland and Wales.

(GB)