Calderdale Council has decided to reduce council tax relief for working-age households, raising concerns among local residents and councillors alike
Calderdale: The council has made a tough call to cut council tax relief for working-age households from 81% to 70%. This change aims to save about £1 million, but it’s stirred up quite a bit of concern.
During a special meeting, councillors debated this decision, but ultimately, most voted to go ahead with it. The cut won’t affect pensioners, but it will hit around 8,000 of the area’s poorest households hard.
Labour councillors expressed their worries, suggesting there should be other ways to balance the budget without hurting those in need. They’re also pushing for better funding from the government.
Despite their concerns, they felt they had no choice but to let the cut happen. The council has a legal duty to balance its budget, after all.
This change will kick in for the 2025-26 tax bills, which are due in April. Some opposition leaders praised the Labour councillors for raising the issue but criticized them for not pushing harder to reconsider the decision.
One councillor pointed out that this cut means asking the poorest residents for more money than last year, which just doesn’t sit right. They’re worried about the impact on families already struggling.
Another councillor highlighted that high poverty levels lead to serious issues like poor housing and health problems, especially for kids. They stressed the need to explore all options before making such a significant cut.
The council leader explained that years of funding cuts from the government have led to this situation. They’re facing rising demands for services while funding isn’t keeping up.
Some councillors suggested looking at a more gradual reduction or not filling vacant council positions to help ease the budget strain. But the council leader argued that those alternatives just aren’t practical right now.
In the end, the decision to cut relief was made with a heavy heart. Many councillors are frustrated, feeling like they’ve already cut everything they can without causing even more harm to the community.
