OAPs 'cut back on food to pay tax'

12 April 2012

Some of the UK's poorest pensioners are cutting back on food and heating as a result of a council tax system that sees one in four struggling to pay, a report has claimed.

Help the Aged said more than a third of people over the age of 65 living on the lowest household incomes see 10% of the earnings eaten up paying the bill.

Furthermore 26% said council tax payments had left them with no money at the end of the month or having to forego some basics or go into debt.

Five per cent had gone without some food, while 8% said they had cut back on heating.

Survey results showed that 13% - equivalent to more than a million pensioners - have had to cut back on hobbies and socialising in order to meet the payments.

The survey results coincide with the launch of a Help the Aged campaign to lobby the Government into reinstating the £200 discount for pensioners to help meet council tax demands.

The discount was first given to older people before the 2005 General Election but has since been withdrawn.

Anna Pearson, senior policy officer at Help the Aged, said: "Council tax is unfair and is leaving many pensioners having to make cut backs on basics such as food heating.

"[It is unfair] By virtue of the fact that council tax is based on property values, as opposed to ability to pay. This is combined with inflation-busting increases year-on-year which far outstrip the meagre rises in Basic State Pension."

She added: "The Government must reform council tax so that it better takes account of income and in the short-term the Chancellor should immediately return the £200 rebate on council tax bills back to pensioners. Failure to do so will leave him exposed to accusations that the rebate was nothing more than a pre-election bribe."

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