Around 70,000 people are being pursued by bailiffs for council tax arrears following benefit cuts, the Labour Party has claimed according to a report in Inside Housing:
The party has, according to the Independent newspaper, issued requests under the Freedom of Information Act to all English councils and 143 responded with figures showing 30,761 have been issued with bailiff notices. If extrapolated across England, 70,000 could be affected.
The coalition government last year scrapped council tax benefit and replaced it with a grant that covers 90 per cent of the cost in order to save £500 million. Councils can decide how to fund the 10 per cent cut, but cannot reduce benefit for pensioners.