Council tax

• Haringey to reform council tax support

  Haringey LBC could invest £1.6m in 2019/20 to allow some of its poorest residents to not pay council tax.

  

• MPs accuse councils of ‘overzealous’ debt collection

  The overzealous and uncompromising collection of debt by local councils is driving vulnerable people into further financial difficulty, MPs have warned today.

  

• Care leavers exempt from paying council tax in Manchester

  Manchester City Council has announced care leavers will be exempt from paying council tax until they are 25.

  

• Councils given power to increase taxation on empty homes

  Councils will be allowed to triple the council tax on homes left empty for five to 10 years, following an amendment to a government bill.

  

• Councils call for tax increases on empty homes

  Council leaders have called for the power to double the amount of council tax on homes that have been left empty between two and five years.

  

• Rise in children's services spending

  The amount expected to be spent on children’s social care in 2018/19 is up 6.8% or £542m compared to the figure in 2017/18 budgets, latest figures have shown.

  

• MPs say levy for over 40s could fund free social care

  People aged over 40 should pay a dedicated social care premium to fund free care in the future, MPs have said.

  

• Public 'willing' to pay more tax for certain services

  Most people would be prepared to pay more in council tax or one-off voluntary levies to fund particular local services, a new poll has revealed today.

  

• Future of social care precept looks 'very bleak' from 2019 warns Care England

  A third of English councils will be unable to raise enough money through the social care precept to pay for the services they are meant to cover, according to new research.

  

• Parish councils and the devolution of services

  Neil Merrick finds out why some parish councils are doubling or trebling council tax precepts after taking on services from higher tier authorities.