Story: Lisa Swift
Thousands of people have been summoned to court following the introduction of the new Council support scheme on 1st April. All residents of Sheffield must now pay at least 23% of their Council Tax. Of the 35000 people who rely on the new Council Tax Support, 6000 were summoned to court in July for non payment.
The Messenger spoke to local resident Abdul Tourzani about his experience.
“I was sent a letter saying to attend court. There were 40 or 50 other people there who were in the same situation. They were interviewing people to see if they would come to an agreement to pay before going in to see the magistrate. I agreed to pay in instalments, and they said they would waive the court costs, so I didn’t see the judge. Now I’ve got an even bigger bill which is not what I agreed to.”
Mr Tourzani was very concerned about how he would afford the bill and the extra unexplained cost from his most recent bill.
“They are forcing poor people to pay, who can’t pay. I had no money to pay my Council tax because my sickness benefit was stopped. I will find it difficult to pay; it will mean missing out on something essential to pay it.”
The Messenger asked the Council to comment on why so many people had been summoned to court, and if they were concerned about the impact their policy was having on people who are struggling to afford the new bill. Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources at Sheffield City Council said:
“Our policy in Sheffield is to offer as much support as we can to help people manage their money as a result of the Government’s changes to the welfare system. We always advise people to get in touch with us if they are having problems so we can work through them together."
“We are sorry that despite this some taxpayers have found themselves in a difficult financial position but > the Council is doing what it can to support those who have been hit hardest by the cuts by establishing a £500,000 hardship fund.”
The Government cut £5.5 million from Sheffield’s Council Tax Benefit budget. In response the Council chose to reduce Council Tax Benefits rather than make cuts to other services. The Council state they have done everything they can to inform people that they must pay. However with 17% of claimants ending up in court, it would seem no amount of information can equip people to pay bills they cannot afford.