Record low number of Bedford pensioners received council tax support in lead up to Christmas

A record low number of Bedford pensioners received council tax support in the lead up to Christmas, new figures show.

Across England, fewer pensioners than ever received support to reduce their council tax bills, leading to eligible people missing out on the available financial support.

The Independent Age charity said the system is too difficult to navigate, and called on the Government and local authorities to create a simpler process, so everyone entitled to the support could easily get it. While Bedford Borough Council urged any concerned pensioners to contact its customer services team.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show 3,271 pensioners in Bedford received council tax support in the three months to December 2023 – roughly in line with 3,282 the same time the year before and the lowest number since records began in 2015.

Overall, the total number of pensioners receiving the support dropped to a record low of 1.37 million, following a gradual decrease over the years since 2015, when around half a million more pensioners claimed it between October and November.

Morgan Vine, head of policy and influencing at Independent Age, said for older people on a low income, council tax reduction could mean the difference between affording food and heat, or risking their health.

She said: “Many people in later life told us they had struggled to keep up with their council tax bill last year, yet we know that awareness of the support available – for those living in financial hardship – to reduce this bill remains low.”

She also said the charity’s own research found many people were confused by the complexity of the council tax system.

“Ultimately this leads to eligible people missing out on available financial support,” she added.

“With the company Policy in Practice estimating that only 62% of people of all ages who are eligible for council tax reduction actually receive it, we are calling on the UK Government and local authorities to work together to create more automated processes so that everyone over pension age who is entitled to council tax reduction gets it.”

Another 2.34 million working age adults received the support across England, including 7,311 in Bedford.

Meanwhile, millions of households across the country are expected to see an increase in their council tax bills in April.

Local authorities across England collected £10.6 billion in the three months to December 2023, which was 6.5% more than the same time the previous year.

In Bedford, the council took £35.5 million through council tax – up 5.3% from £33.7 million in the third quarter of 2022.

A spokesman for Bedford Borough Council said: “We continue to urge all residents who are eligible to claim council tax support. We understand that navigating through the application process might seem daunting, which is why we encourage residents to reach out to our customer services team. They stand ready to provide further assistance and guidance.”