Guy Voizey slams Government's secret tenant tax (Canterbury & Whitstable Liberal Democrats)

Canterbury & Whitstable Liberal Democrats <info@cantlibdem.org.uk>

Guy Voizey slams Government's secret tenant tax

July 18, 2008 4:34 PM

Figures obtained by Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman Guy Voizey show the Government plan to keep nearly £200m of council tenants' rent this year - of which over £5m is taken from Canterbury City Council tenants.

Every year the City Council has to pay some of local council house rents to the Treasury. It is then redistributed in part to authorities deemed to have a greater need.

But this year the Treasury is collecting £195,816,938 more than it is redistributing. This extra money will not be spent on council housing.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Canterbury and Whitstable, Guy Voizey, commented:

"These figures are a disgrace. Local council tenants are paying an annual £1,000 stealth tax straight to the treasury and local residents get nothing back for that money.

"It's completely wrong for tenants to be paying this kind of stealth tax, particularly when so many are under such pressure from increased prices for fuel and food.

"This is a Robin Hood tax. Money paid by hard-working people often on low incomes which could be used for repairs or to increase the number of council houses just leaves the area. This is particularly crazy when there are thousands of people on the waiting list for council houses in the district.

"Money paid by local tenants should be kept in the area and spent on improving homes and building more council houses."