New council tax support scheme will fail Cornwall's poorest

Back in January, Cornwall Council decided to impose a huge tax increase on 26,000 of the poorest working age families in Cornwall. As a way of mitigating the worst effects, the Conservatives announced that there would be an exceptional relief fund to help those who could not afford to pay. But nobody could have anticipated that the Tories would put a cap on the amount that any individual could claim.

 

When this poor tax was first imposed, the Leader of the Conservatives said she knew nothing about those affected. It's clear that none of her colleagues have bothered to find out since.

 

Liberal Democrats argued for the maintenance of the previous system because we know that there are many people in Cornwall who simply cannot afford to pay. But even having imposed the huge tax rise, there was still action that the Conservatives could have taken to protect the poorest of the poor. But they have failed to do that. Instead, they have guaranteed that thousands of families will hear the bailiff's knock on the door.

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