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Universal Credit Claimants Could Be Missing Out on £500 a Year in Council Tax Help
The IFS says 2 separate schemes leave many claimants missing out on more than £500 a year and create postcode differences in support.
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests merging Council Tax Support into Universal Credit, incorporating CTS alongside existing support for housing and children to simplify claims.
- Unlike Universal Credit, CTS is run by local councils, creating a postcode lottery where identical families receive different support depending on location.
- Research Economist Matthew Oulton warned there are "fundamental trade-offs" between local flexibility and simplicity; some claimants keep just 36p of every extra £1 earned as both benefits withdraw.
- Local authorities resist folding support into Universal Credit because it removes flexibility to tailor schemes to local needs, eliminating a key tool for redistributing income locally.
- While the Government has not announced plans to merge the schemes, ministers are exploring wider funding reforms; experts advise current claimants to check CTS eligibility immediately.
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State pensioners missing out on £1.71billion in council tax relief: 'Help is available!'
Pensioners across England are missing out on up to £1.71billion in council tax relief, according to research from charity Independent Age.The organisation's report, titled "Missing out on millions", calculates that if every eligible person above state pension age received a council tax reduction, some 74,000 older households across Great Britain could be lifted out of poverty.Independent Age, which focuses on financial hardship among older peopl…
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources23
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center21Last UpdatedBias Distribution91% Center
Bias Distribution
- 91% of the sources are Center
91% Center
C 91%
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