Impact of introduction of Council Tax Support 



While a minority of English local authorities managed to absorb the funding reduction (for example, by scrapping discounts on second homes,) and did not pass on the cut, the majority are now sending out Council Tax bills to low-income residents, many of whom had never paid Council Tax before the changes were introduced. 


Around 100 people are now sent to prison each year for non-payment of council tax, according to the Centre for Criminal Appeals (CCA), which helped a single mother who was unable to pay her council tax debt and was sentenced to 81 days in prison by magistrates. She served 40 days of her prison term before the CCA helped to secure her release on bail. The High Court ruled that the sentence was unlawful and that magistrates had failed to assess Melanie Woodcock’s financial means and, therefore, had no basis for concluding that her failure to pay was due to “culpable neglect”. She had been unemployed after working part-time and caring for her school-age child and helping to look after an elderly neighbour.


Suzanne Gower, managing director of the CCA, said “It is truly shocking that in the 21st Century over 100 vulnerable people are being imprisoned each year for being poor.”


Appeals against a decision on Council Tax Reduction are made through the Valuation Tribunal rather than through the independent Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk/your-appeal-type/council-tax/council-tax-reduction).