Council consultation on Lewisham benefit cuts
Lewisham Council writes:
Cut a further £3million from services or cut weekly benefit by an average of around £2 for more than 36,000 households? That’s the stark choice facing Lewisham Council after the Government announced the abolition of Council Tax Benefit.
The Government is passing on the funds for councils to run their own Council Tax Support Scheme, but cutting the total by 10 per cent. Benefit for pensioners has to be protected, so working age people could see their benefit cut by more than 10 per cent.
Faced with a tough decision to cut services or cut benefits the Council is asking for the views of local residents on its proposed scheme. This survey will run until 30 September.
Key facts:
- There are 114,000 domestic properties in the borough
- 36,000 Lewisham residents currently receive £28m in Council Tax Benefit
- 8,333 Lewisham pensioners get Council Tax Benefit
- 27,928 working age claimants get Council Tax Benefit
- 5,430 Council Tax Benefit claimants are disabled
- 8,108 Council Tax Benefit claimants are single parents
