ePolitix.com Stakeholders comment on news that the average council tax bill in England will rise by 4.2 per cent in the year 2007/08.

Party Response: Conservative Party

Eric Pickles, shadow minister for local government, said: "Council tax bills have soared by 92 per cent since 1997 thanks to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

"Labour and Liberal Democrat town halls charge the most.

"But like a stuck record, Labour spin doctors are again using creative accountancy to hide the fact that their councils cost more and deliver less.

"The only fair way is to compare council tax bills is contrast Band D with Band D – which shows that Conservative cost you less, while delivering better public services."

Party Response: Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat local government spokesman Andrew Stunell said: "There’s nothing stealthy about council tax, especially at a time when mortgage payments and the cost of living is increasing, everyone knows it’s unfair.

"It’s scandalous that the chancellor failed to scrap council tax and introduce a fair tax based on the ability to pay.

"Gordon Brown is leaving millions of pensioners and low paid families struggling to make ends meet."

Stakeholder Response: Help the Aged

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Anna Pearson said: "These new increases in town hall bills show just how important it is that the government get on with the job of reforming council tax.
 
"Council tax benefit is not being claimed by millions of older people simply because of the complexities in applying or because awareness of the benefit is not high enough. 

"However, the government seems content to allow this situation to persist and has given a cool reception to the recommendations of last week's review by Sir Michael Lyons. 

"Instead of stonewalling by saying they'll think about reform, ministers must crack on with some action to ease the suffering of so many pensioners. 

"Older people should not have to bear the burden of another year of rising bills overwhelming their small increases in pensions."

Stakeholder Response: Age Concern

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Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: "Yet more inflation busting increases to council tax bills will anger many pensioners already struggling to keep up with rapidly rising living costs.

"Many pensioners would have been bitterly disappointed that the chancellor failed to offer any help with their spiralling council tax bills in the budget since Labour came to power, council tax bills have almost doubled whilst the basic state pension has risen by scarcely a third.

"The government must act on Lyons’ recommendations that council tax benefit should be received automatically, without having to claim, and the savings limit should be increased to £50,000.

"In the short term, the government should make it much easier for people to get the help they are entitled to by introducing a single telephone claim line for all means-tested benefits.

"Any pensioners who are struggling to make ends meet should contact their local Age Concern to check whether they are entitled to any extra help.

"Council tax benefit is still the most unclaimed benefit of all, with up to 2.2 million older people missing out on up to £1.4bn each year – putting in a claim could cut bills by an average of £540 a year."