Council tax pause for three months in UK update | UK | News
A new online petition is urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to force local authorities to pause council tax payments for three months, citing a lack of services in return. The petition’s creator, Hitesh Solanki, states that issues like unrepaired potholes, uncollected bins and dirty streets justify a temporary halt to payments.
The call to action has been posted on the Petitions Parliament website, the Daily Record reports. It reads: “We want the UK Government to require councils to pause council tax bills for three months as we feel they are not delivering on the jobs we pay for such as collecting bins, fixing potholes and keeping the streets clean.”
It then adds: “We feel the current service is not fair. For example, if we don’t pay our bills to HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs), we get fined, but we think local government is not effectively held to account. We don’t think we should have to pay when the services we want are not delivered.”
If the petition gains 10,000 signatures in support, it will be entitled to a written response from the UK Government. At 100,000 backers, it would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament. Anyone can view the petition online here.
Are you exempt from paying council tax?
It’s important to acknowledge that some people are exempt from paying council tax. This may apply in the following situations:
- You live in a care home or hospital
- Your home is unoccupied and empty (up to six months) – for example, if you’ve gone into hospital
- You have a severe mental impairment (e.g. dementia) – if you only live with someone who has dementia, then you’ll be treated as a sole occupant as they will be disregarded, but you won’t both be exempt
- You are a full-time student
- You are in the Armed Forces in Forces accommodation
Contact your local authority about your eligibility and how you can apply for an exemption.
