05/02/10 - More evidence of families struggling to pay their council tax

Soaring council tax under Labour leads to bailiffs and court actions in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
Paul
Bristow expressed his concern this week at new figures which have revealed the
soaring use of court orders and bailiffs to collect council tax. Council tax
bills have more than doubled across the country under Labour. In Middlesbrough,
bills have risen by 107% and by 61% in Redcar and Cleveland since
1997.
- New statistics show that 1.4 million households had bailiffs knocking at their door for unpaid council tax last year up nearly 70 per cent since 1997. Another 1,517 people were made bankrupt by the courts for their council tax debts.
- Whitehall guidance issued by John Prescott in 2004 encourages the use of bailiffs by town halls. It even recommends that in-house town hall bailiffs remove the official council branding from their bailiff demands.
- New official figures also reveal that that a record 3.1 million households are now in severe council tax difficulties and face liability orders for unpaid council tax. Liability orders allow councils to seize money from wage packets/benefits or commence bailiff proceedings.
- Conservatives have pledged to work with councils to freeze council tax bills in England and provide additional central funding to keep bills down for the next two years. Scotland has already benefited from a council tax freeze, making bills almost £300 a year less on a comparable home north of the border. Labour Ministers have ruled out introducing such a policy in England.
Commenting, Paul said: "Thanks to Gordon Brown doubling council tax bills, a record number of local families and across the country are struggling to make ends meet. More people now face the threat of menacing bailiffs knocking at their door. This is a crisis of Labours own making.
"The
fact that Labour Ministers have blocked a council tax freeze for England shows
how out of touch Gordon Brown is with the plight of hard-working families and
pensioners. Only a Conservative Government will work with our local councils to
help fund a council tax freeze and bring real help to low and middle income
families. Only Conservatives can deliver the change our country
needs."
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26/02/10 - Challenging Arriva on rural bus services in East Cleveland
Mr Ian
McInroy
Managing
Director
Arriva
North East
FREEPOST
NT 2040
Newcastle
upon Tyne
NE2 1BR
25th February
2010
&nb... Read More
24/02/10 - Become your own boss, Paul Bristow offers Teesside public sector workers
Become your own boss, Paul Bristow offers Teesside public sector workers
New plans for employee-owned co-operatives to help improve local
serv... Read More
16/02/10 - Government and MPs have failed on Corus
Commenting on the news that Corus has confirmed plans to mothball the blast furnace at Teesside Cast Products in Redcar, Paul Bristow the Conservati... Read More
12/02/10 - Now Gordon wants £20,000 of your money when you die!
Gordon Brown has a consistent track record of saying 'no new taxes' before an election and then raising them by stealth after it; but this week he h... Read More
