Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor and part-time business director, who wants to increase everyone’s Council Tax in the borough by a whopping 15per cent, has said today, “I know many families in Croydon are struggling to make ends meet in the face of rising prices.”
So he cannot claim ignorance of the additional financial hardship he is about to cause those families with his Perry Premium Council Tax hike.
Croydon’s Mayor’s comments came in response to an announcement from the Department of Works and Pensions that Croydon is to receive £6million from the Household Support Fund, a version of the Poor Relief schemes from the Victorian era, from the very same government that has trashed and crashed the economy and caused so much financial hardship.
The DWP is making a total of £842million in Household Support Fund allocations to councils across England from April 1.
“The distribution of the funding is targeted at the areas of the country with the most vulnerable households,” the DWP said.
The DWP’s announcement provided further evidence that Croydon is a borough with particularly pressing demands, demands which continue to be ignored when it comes to a fair funding settlement for the council.
The DWP’s extension of its Household Support Fund is providing £6,027,378.98 to Croydon, the second-highest amount of all London’s boroughs.
In the capital, only inner London Newham (£6,678,389.50), an area with some of the worst social deprivation in Europe, is getting more under this scheme.
Mims Davies: ‘pleased’
Croydon’s outer London neighbour Bromley is to receive £3.74million and Sutton £2.3million. Inner London Lambeth is getting £5.4million, Southwark £5.47million.
The funding is allocated to councils who “will then use it to support people in their local area pay for energy bills or groceries”, the DWP said.
DWP minister Mims Davies said: “The Household Support Fund has already helped vulnerable families across England through these challenging times and I am pleased it will continue to do so for another full year.
“This is just one part of our extensive and targeted £26billion support package, which includes payments worth £900 for millions of people on benefits and additional support for disabled people and pensioners, while every household will continue to save money thanks to our Energy Price Guarantee.”
According to the DWP, “Councils in England have the flexibility to decide how best to spend their allocation to support people in their local area quickly and efficiently, drawing from local knowledge and direct contact with people in the community.”
According to a press release from Croydon Tories, this redistribution of public money to the people that need it most demonstrates, “the Conservative government’s unwavering commitment to support the most vulnerable in times of financial hardship”. Just a pity that it is the same Conservative government which has created so much of that very same financial hardship.
“This fund is a lifeline for local residents, and this extension will ensure this vital support is available for families who are struggling for another year,” according to Croydon Mayor Jason Perry, just before he hikes Council Tax by 15per cent and puts up council rents by 7per cent.
Residents wishing to claim help under the Household Support Fund are supposed to make enquiries through their local council, although Mayor Perry’s party political press release failed to provide any information on how to do so.
The propaganda department at Mayor Perry’s dysfunctional council has yet to issue its own version of the Tories’ 21st Century Poor Relief and any details of how residents can apply.
Read more: Perry to preside over record-breaking 15% Council Tax hike
Read more: Public’s furious reaction to Perry’s Premium Council Tax hike
Read more: Mayor Perry: ‘It’s going to get worse before it gets better’
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A start in the right direction. I hope it goes to those who really need it and hopefully to the many homeless who are living on the streets , underpasses etc who should be helped by the council. etc
Perry and his numb-skull caninet member for Finance have fucked up. These are two ‘who gives a shit?’ amateur politicians who are not up to the task. will never take the Tories seriously in Croydon again and as a former Tory party member in Croydon I shall actively campaign against them.
The DWP is doing what it can in the current climate for areas in need. The only problem is that they are giving it to this ”spectacularly incompetent” Council to
dispense.
Once again those very vulnerable people in this Borough will probably have to apply using digital means that they do not have, from Libaries that are closed most of the time to receive an answer perhaps one year laterif not longer judging by the lenght of time FOI requests, Housing requested Maintenance requests and really anything anyone asks the Council for that it wants to delay for it’s own reasons.
Lets hope all the Councillors take up the cudgel and ensure an equitable and accessible application process is put in place.
If they hadn’t raised the price of everything they wouldn’t need to provide this… Same as Perry patting himself on the back saying millions being provided for those who will struggle with 15% CT increase… shouldn’t have set it so high then you fkg numpty…