Council faces legal action against council tax benefits next week (From Haringey Independent)

Haringey Borough Council faces legal action against council tax benefits next week

4:15pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in News By Bruce Thain

Solicitors will be seeking a judicial review against changes to council tax benefit in Haringey at the High Court next week.

Haringey Borough Council faces legal action over its changes to council tax benefit which were passed through this month.

The claim is being made by a resident who claims the council did not carry out a proper consultation about the changes to the benefit, which mean every household of working age will have to pay something towards their council tax bill.

Reverend Paul Nicolson, of campaign group Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP), is helping the claimant.

He said: “This is a very important challenge. The effect these changes will have on the poorest people in the borough will be devastating.

“It is impossible to tax poverty. The combination of the bedroom tax, the benefit cap and having to pay council tax will hit hard and the small amount people will get from Job Seekers Allowance will not stretch far enough.”

Full control of council tax benefit is being given to councils around the country when the Government abolishes the current benefit from April 1 this year.

Under Haringey Council’s plans, those who currently receive 100 per cent council tax benefit will have to pay 20 per cent of their full council tax bill.

Pensioners are exempt from the changes and will continue to receive 100 per cent council tax benefit.

A spokeswoman for the council said the authority consulted widely on the changes, which included writing to all 36,000 people affected by the reduction in their council tax benefit.

Solicitors representing the claimant will appear before a Judge at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, on Tuesday next week to ask for a Judicial Review.