As Croydon’s £86,000 per year piss-poor Mayor looks to cut support for lone parents and the disabled, this is your chance to let him know what you really think…
The lovely, helpful people at the South Norwood Community Kitchen have put together some suggested responses for the council’s “public consultation”, supposedly on reducing Council Tax support, but in reality the latest in a long line of lip-service foregone conclusions.
Below, we list the council’s leading questions with the template responses, an easy cut-and-paste job for a wet October evening…
But what really interests us is your most creative and cutting responses to the final question from the Tory-run council.
Next April will put Council Tax at 39% more than it was when Jason Perry was elected. That huge hike comes on top of piss-poor Perry’s increases on parking permit chargees, his library closures and his needless vandalism in outsourcing CALAT.
Now the £86,000 per year failed Mayor wants to inflict financial pain on lone-parent families and Croydon’s disabled residents.
So, in the comments below this article, in no more than 120 words, provide your response to the question:
If you have any ideas for how the council could reduce the cost of Council Tax Support, please tell us.
Yes. Perry’s clueless and incompetent council is literally asking you what to do. It’s an opportunity not to be missed.
Please post a comment in the section below
Here’s the rest of the consultation question, and suggested answers:
How strongly do you agree or disagree that disabled households should be given more support than non-protected groups within the Council Tax Support Scheme?
Suggested answer: Strongly agree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to reduce the maximum award from 100% for households who are in receipt of a disabled benefit and currently not working?
Strongly disagree
Please rank the following options in order of preference, with your preferred option at the top…
Start with 100% and decrease
Please explain your answer and the impact it will have on you.
You may wish to speak about the financial impact it would have on you or those around you, how it could affect mental well-being.
The health impacts of having less income, worse or less food, not being able to afford utilities, the affect it will have on paying current bills.
How strongly do you agree or disagree that lone parent households with a child under five-years-old should be given more support than non-protected groups within the Council Tax Support Scheme?
Strongly agree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to reduce the award provided to households of lone parents with a child under 5-years-old?
Strongly disagree
Please rank the following options in order of preference, with your preferred option at the top.
Start with 80% and work down
Please explain your answer and the impact it will have on you.
Again, you may wish to speak about the financial impact it would have on you or those around you. How it could affect mental well-being. The health impacts of having less income, worse or less food, not being able to afford utilities, the effect it will have on paying current bills.
You could also speak about how it would decrease the quality of life for Croydon’s children. Parents would have less money to support their children. No extra after-school clubs, less money for clothing, books, toys. Parents may struggle to feed their children
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to reduce the maximum award for all those residents who are not in a protected group?
Strongly disagree
Please rank the following options in order of preference, with your preferred option at the top.
Start with maintain current 75% and work down
Please explain your answer and the impact it will have on you.
As above, speak about it affecting your quality of life, affect on money and current bills, affect on mental health.
Croydon has one of the highest rates of Council Tax in London with the lowest amount of services, Speak about already struggling to pay bills and expenses. Losing this support would turn into debt and potential homelessness for many people.
How strongly do you agree or disagree that disabled households where someone is working should have some of their income ignored when calculating their Council Tax Support?
Strongly agree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to reduce the income disregard from £50 per week for disabled households where someone is working?
Strongly disagree
Please rank the following options in order of preference, with your preferred option at the top.
Start with £50 option and decrease
Please explain your answer and the impact it will have on you.
Talk about having a tight budget, people are already struggling, any loss of support and income will result in negative results in quality of life.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to reduce the level of savings a claimant can have before being unable to claim Council Tax Support?
Neither agree nor disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to increase the level of savings a claimant can have before being unable to claim Council Tax Support?
Strongly agree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to tighten the definition of the disabled category for the Council Tax Support scheme?
Strongly disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to reduce the band cap from a Band D to a Band C for all claimants except those in the disabled not working group?
Strongly disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the option to introduce a band cap for disabled not working residents?
Strongly disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree that income received from war pensions or compensations schemes should be disregarded when calculating income?
Strongly agree
How strongly do you agree or disagree that Croydon’s Council Tax Support scheme should be aligned with other benefits in terms of the time limit for backdating changes in circumstances?
Neither agree nor disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree that there should be a minimum number of hours someone should be working before child care costs are disregarded?
Strongly disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree that Croydon should introduce a hardship fund to support those residents most affected by any changes to the Council Tax Support scheme?
Strongly agree
How strongly do you agree or disagree that those who see their level of support reduce the most should get the most support from a hardship fund?
Somewhat disagree
How strongly do you agree or disagree that there should be a transitional period over which any changes are implemented?
Strongly agree
If there are any other ways these proposed changes to Council Tax Support might affect you or your household, please tell us below.
Be as personal as possible this is your chance to explain the negative affects the changes would have on you and your community
Don’t forget to confirm your email address after you have completed the survey. It wont be counted if you don’t.
Indeed, given the council’s reckless disregard for the opinion of the public it is supposed to serve, and its cavalier approach to “consultations”, they may very well disregard what you submit in any case.
But you’ll have a nice warm feeling by carrying out the consultation, which you can find by clicking here. Deadline for submissions is November 10.
And Inside Croydon’s comments are open now for your response to the plea from part-time Perry, the man who has increased Council Tax by 39% in four years, of how he can reduce the cost of Council Tax Support.
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