Council Tax Benefit cuts could hit more than 100,000 Glaswegians

The SNP’s Glasgow Council Group Leader Allison Hunter has condemned the UK Government for cutting the budget for supporting council tax payers by 10 per cent.
 
Official figures show that 101,610 people are in receipt of council tax benefit in Glasgow. This includes pensioners and low paid households which are struggling to get by.  The UK Government is abolishing council tax benefit and transferring funding to Scotland – but in doing so they are slashing the budget by 10 per cent, creating a £40m black hole.
 
Councillor Hunter commented: “The Tories and their Lib Dem supporters have slashed welfare payments for disabled people, hit families with cuts to tax credits and targeted pensioners with their “granny tax”. Now they are cutting support for council tax benefit.
 
“These changes could see pensioner couples lose nearly £100 in benefit. It is totally unfair that people who have worked hard all their lives should be treated in this way.
 
“I welcome the decision to transfer council tax benefit to Scotland - but to slash the budget on the way is completely unacceptable. At the same time as UK changes to housing benefit are having a real impact on low income families, this is a step too far.
“The Scottish Government has held back money to help those affected by the impact of UK Government cuts. I know they are looking at how to support those hit by the UK’s council tax cut - but I am disgusted by the Coalition’s determination to keep hammering the  household budgets of those who can least afford it. This shows the Tories in their true colours and the Lib Dems should be ashamed of themselves for being a part of this.
 
“This situation will horrify many Glaswegians and reinforces the need for Scotland to have more control of our own resources and the power to decide how they are allocated.”
 
ENDS
 
Notes
 
Figures from the DWP show that 101,610 Council Tax Benefit recipients in Glasgow. http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hbctb_release_mar12.xls