Local council tax support is currently given to around 30,000 individuals and families in the Bolton Borough whose personal circumstances mean that they are eligible for financial help to pay their council tax. The Council are proposing that the local council tax support scheme be amended as of 1st April 2021 and are asking residents to voice their opinion as part of their review.
Whether or not council will pay heed to any contribution from the public is uncertain. Bolton TUC nevertheless urge as many residents as possible to voice their opinions and to oppose any attempt to reduce the number of people who may be eligible or to reduce the amount paid to those who qualify, especially under present circumstances.
Click this link to access the online survey.
To give you an idea of the type of comments you might care to make, here’s an example of one already submitted by a Trades Council delegate earlier this week.
While the Conservative Government are inflicting another £40 million of cuts upon the people of Bolton they are at the same time handing out over £1.9 Billion to supermarket chains via the Treasury’s 12-month holiday on business rates. This is resulting in bumper payouts worth millions to shareholders. In response we demand that the central government not only make up the £40 million shortfall but set forth a package of economic regeneration that will see a genuine economic recovery for all the people of Bolton.
The Treasury’s 12-month holiday on business rates was sold to us as essential financial support to businesses to prevent them from going under and unemployment increasing, but as is often the case, the real winners were not small local businesses but instead supermarkets who have seen sales soar and will continue to do so under a lockdown.
The Conservatives claim to be a party of low taxation but instead we see a consultation taking place on proposals for an amendment to the local council tax support scheme that will see us paying more council tax at a time when unemployment is rising and the level of in work poverty is at it highest rate ever.
As there wasn’t an ‘Other’ option to this question our Trades Council delegate chose not to reply.
Our argument remains the same throughout, in that the only way to build a strong vibrant economy is by investing in the infrastructure and the skills of the future, not using our tax to reward Tory Party donors.
Bolton TUC 