COUNCIL TAX   - THE PROTEST -  AND YOU 

In April 2006, DPAF wrote to Mr Tony Blair, Mr Gordon Brown, the Ministers to do with Local Government, MPs and all the councils in Devon and told them all, that council tax and the continuous high rises coming each year, were causing considerable hardship to all those on low fixed incomes, especially pensioners, since the increase in pensions was not keeping pace with the call on their incomes. DPAF further warned that if the government was not prepared to listen and put in place even a short term measure to alleviate that hardship, by the end of 2006, it would suggest to all who wished, to cease paying council tax from 1^st January 2007    

Our continuous reference to this problem has been the usual response to wait until after the Lyons Report has been studied. It would seem that continuing valuation of a person?s property is still going on although this is being denied, with additional valuation being placed on location, views and improvements carried out by the owner. In April 2007 council tax is being abolished in Northern Ireland and money for local government is to be raised by a property tax and will be based on the value of the property. For every ?1000 in value, owners will be charged a percentage rate. This will be 0.79%. So if your house is valued at ?250.000, you would pay 250.000 x 0.79% = ?1975, in my case an immediate increase of ?400. We are told that there is no intention to do the same thing in this country. Believe that and you know that pigs can fly!!   

Over the past months DPAF has directly contacted 65 older persons groups all over the country, as well as networks of pensioner groups and an indirect approach to some hundreds of groups who contribute to the Help the Aged, Forum to Forum Magazine. The response has been very positive, but some are afraid that their constitution does not allow them to take such militant action.

This is an initiative that individuals can take as individuals and why should you be afraid of breaking the law?  In 1995, both Mr Blair and Mr Brown announced they would do away with means testing and pensioner poverty.

Mr Brown?s words were ?I want the next labour government to achieve what in 50 years of the welfare state has never been achieved ? the end of means testing for our elderly people?.

Means testing is now called PROGESSIVE UNIVERSALISM at the Treasury and that tells you the value of Mr Brown?s achievement.

The purpose of the withholding council tax is to show that the 11 million pensioners in the country are fed up with platitudes and pats on the head that we are continually being told to appreciate and that if thousands of us act together and at the same time we can demonstrate to all parties that we have the ability and will to frighten politicians into listening and doing something positive NOW. If and when our huge pension increase comes in in 2012, many of us will have gone to what must be a much better place than being in Britain at this moment.

I feel that for personal reasons, I am unable to support a suggestion not to pay my council tax, but will support those who have taken this action. It is necessary to tell this government that we feel strongly on this issue and if this is a way of demonstrating the strength of that feeling, I am willing to add my name to this protest.

I understand that any help or advice on this action may be obtained from DPAF

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