Downing Street dodges on whether single-person council tax discount could be scrapped _ Hieuuk
Fears have been raised about the prospect of taxes on widows and divorcees being hiked in the Budget.
Downing Street dodged when asked to rule out the single person discount on council tax being abolished.
The provision means bills are cut by 25 per cent for taxpayers who live alone, regardless of their financial circumstances.
An individual living in a band D property can save around £500 a year as a result.
However, there have been claims that councils are lobbying the Government to end the discount to help shore up their finances.
Local authorities are said to be pushing for powers to ditch the arrangements, which are believed to cost around £3billion a year.
Keir Starmer was grilled on the prospect of other tax-raising measures at PMQs today
At PMQs this afternoon, Conservative MP Louie French urged Sir Keir to ‘rule out scrapping concessionary travel fares’ for pensioners.
He replied: ‘I’m not going to pre-empt the Budget.’
The PM defended his decision to scrap winter fuel allowance from pensioners, but again hinted at pain to come in the Budget on October 30.
‘We’re taking this decision to stabilise the economy. That means we can commit to the triple lock.
‘By committing to the triple lock we can make sure that payments of state pension are higher and therefore there’s more money in the pockets of pensioners, not withstanding the tough action we need to take.’
Afterwards, a spokeswoman for the PM was asked whether the government was committed to free bus passes for pensioners.
She replied: ‘We are. There are no plans to change that.’
The spokeswoman added: ‘The PM was making a broader point about not pre-empting the Budget. I think there were some other examples put to him as well but on bus passes we have been clear in answering that question – there are no plans.
‘The Chancellor was also asked about this… she mentioned TV licences, prescriptions and bus passes to rule those out.’
Asked specifically about single person’s council tax discount, the spokeswoman said: ‘On that, I would point you to his words about not getting ahead of the Budget.’
Deputy PM Angela Rayner also dodged on the idea of scrapping the discount when questioned in the Commons earlier this month.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured on a visit to Silverstone University Technical College today) has been sending grim signals about pain to come in the Budget
Asked directly if the government has ‘no plans to increase council tax as they assured us before the election’, she confirmed that was the case.
But Ms Rayner was less firm on the issue of single council tax discount.
She said: ‘I find it astonishing that members opposite, after running down the economy in the way that they have, after the Chancellor had to come to this House to talk about the billions of pounds black hole, that they’re now trying to claim that this Government is about raising taxes.
‘This Government is about making sure that working people are better off and we’ll intend to do that.’
