Update on council tax discount as pensioners at risk of losing £300 Winter Fuel Payment
Sir Keir Starmer has addressed the concerns over the single person council tax discount after his ministers earlier declined to confirm whether the Government might withdraw the discount
by Tom Kershaw, Alex Evans · ChronicleLiveAmid rising concerns from pensioners about the potential loss of their 25 percent council tax rebate and £300 Winter Fuel Payment, Prime Minister has provided an update.
The speculation around the possible elimination of the single person council tax discount, which benefits millions of solo-living pensioners, has been addressed by Labour leader Keir Starmer after his ministers earlier declined to confirm whether the government might withdraw the discount in the upcoming Budget on October 30.
In a conversation with BBC West, Keir Starmer voiced his concern: "I am really concerned about this and obviously I'm not going to pre-empt the Budget, but I don't want to risk putting the fear of God into people."
He cautiously added, "I don't want to get into this, you know, 'Will you rule out? Will you rule out? Will you rule out? ' because it just puts fear into people and I don't want to do that."
Starmer further highlighted his understanding of the strain on individuals: "What I will say is that I'm very conscious of how hard it's been for people and we intend to make sure that we have those people who have faced the greatest hardship in our minds' eyes when we take our decisions."
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He hinted that the upcoming Budget could include steps to "fix" council finances, potentially offering local authorities more stable, long-term funding. According to the Express, this comes after council chiefs informed Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner of their precarious financial positions, reports Yorkshire Live.
This news emerges as the government plans to halt the universal £300 Winter Fuel Payment for state pensioners, moving towards a means-tested approach for those on pension credit. There are also talks of potential cuts to other benefits, including free bus passes and prescriptions.
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