Labour Lambeth's inflation busting Council Tax increases will hit the elderly and vulnerable hardest in the coming year, warns Lambeth Conservative Group Leader Cllr John Whelan.
Lambeth's council tax will rise 4.99 per cent from April - the highest the government will allow - but with the Livingstone surcharge this will effectively add another 2 per cent to the bill for the ordinary household. Last year, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat joint administration delivered a 'zero per cent' increase.
Among the 'stealth taxes' not proposed in Labour's election pledges are:
- A 132% increase in social care charges for the elderly
- Lesiure centre charges up by 25%
- Cuts of £460,000 in grants to the voluntary sector
Among the planned cuts is the scrapping of Lambeth's free bulky refuse collection and the cutting of Lambeth's 35 anti crime wardens as well as a reduction in the standard of street sweeping.
Cllr Whelan says: "All this is bad enough, but the proposed 132 per cent rise in charges for social care for the elderly is targeted at the most vulnerable members of the community. These services include helping the elderly get out of bed, getting food and having a wash. None of these cuts were in Labour's election manifesto."
This issue in the news
Tax and parking costs to rise - South London Press, Friday 5th January 2007 [Web]
Let us know what you think about this issue...
