Latest news with #EnglishDevolution
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Major change to council tax payments proposed - how it could affect your bill
The average band D household would pay approximately £38 less each month if they paid over 12 months, according to figures from the Government Millions of households will have their council tax spread out over 12 months by default under major changes being proposed today. Under current rules, council tax is normally split over ten monthly payments, from April to January each year. You can request your payments be split over 12 months instead, to give yourself smaller payments - but under a new consultation being launched today, the Government wants to make this the default. The average band D household would pay approximately £38 less each month if they paid over 12 months, according to figures from the the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Households will still be able to pay their council tax bill over ten months if they want to. The consultation is also proposing slowing down the debt collection process for when someone has missed a council tax payment. If you miss just one council tax payment, you can receive a demand to pay the rest of your yearly bill upfront. Councils can then send in bailiffs if you continue to not pay, which results in added legal costs being added to your bill. The consultation is looking at capping additional costs and ensuring households are given information about what help they could be entitled to, if they are struggling to pay. It will also become easier to challenge your council tax band, if you believe you may be paying too much. It is estimated that around 400,000 people are on too high of a band. Finally, the Government is looking to change the outdated name of the "severe mental impairment" discount, which gives qualifying households up to 100% off their council tax bill, to "significant cognitive impairment" discount. The Government plans to run the consultation for 12 weeks, from June 20 to September 12. Any changes will be confirmed in autumn. Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE said: 'As part of our Plan for Change, we're putting working people first. 'We are listening and taking action to make council tax fairer, more transparent and easier to manage. Under our plans, local government will be there to support, and not to punish, people who fall behind.' Martin Lewis, founder of and Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: 'Many parts of the council tax system are broken. 'Having called for some of these fixes for nearly 20 years, I'm delighted the government has listened and rapidly launched this long-due consultation, including many of the administration areas I hear the most complaints on. 'Council tax rapid and aggressive debt collection methods currently hurt millions and disproportionately affect those with mental health problems. "Within three weeks of missing a monthly payment many councils say you must pay for the whole year… ridiculous, how can people who can't afford to pay for a month, suddenly pay for a year? "After a further three weeks councils can call bailiffs in and rack up charges on charges. No commercial lender is allowed to behave like this, meaning constituents are treated worse than consumers.'
The Independent
28-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Rayner to tout ‘power shift' of devolution plans to leaders in the North
Angela Rayner will tell leaders in the north of England that she will help them 'break' the system that 'hoards power and investment' away from them in a speech on Friday. The Deputy Prime Minister will call her English Devolution programme the 'biggest power shift in a generation' at the annual Convention of the North event, being held this year in Preston. The Government is re-organising local authorities and bringing in new mayoral powers under its devolution plans. Ms Rayner, who is also Local Government Secretary, is also expected to outline plans for more building in the North. She will say: 'I know that the North is impatient as anyone for real change – and I am too. 'The gears of change haven't always been well-oiled and a decade of decline has seen them rusted. 'You're being resisted by a system that hoards power and investment away from where it needs to be. Too many decisions affecting too many people are made by too few. I'm here to help you break that system, and build a fairer one in its place. 'That's what our English Devolution programme is all about. It is the biggest power shift in a generation that will ensure nothing less than a wholesale total rewiring of government power in England.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rayner to tout ‘power shift' of devolution plans to leaders in the North
Angela Rayner will tell leaders in the north of England that she will help them 'break' the system that 'hoards power and investment' away from them in a speech on Friday. The Deputy Prime Minister will call her English Devolution programme the 'biggest power shift in a generation' at the annual Convention of the North event, being held this year in Preston. The Government is re-organising local authorities and bringing in new mayoral powers under its devolution plans. Ms Rayner, who is also Local Government Secretary, is also expected to outline plans for more building in the North. She will say: 'I know that the North is impatient as anyone for real change – and I am too. 'The gears of change haven't always been well-oiled and a decade of decline has seen them rusted. 'You're being resisted by a system that hoards power and investment away from where it needs to be. Too many decisions affecting too many people are made by too few. I'm here to help you break that system, and build a fairer one in its place. 'That's what our English Devolution programme is all about. It is the biggest power shift in a generation that will ensure nothing less than a wholesale total rewiring of government power in England.'
BBC News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Rutland: Public told they will get a say over county's future
People in Rutland were told they will get a say in their county's future amid concern it will be swallowed up in local government the English Devolution proposals set out by the government in December, councils the size of Rutland would have to merge with neighbouring authorities to create bigger councils that could work together to attract more power and government favours new councils with a population of about 500,000 - Rutland is currently home to around 41, a special county council meeting on Tuesday, Oakham South councillor Diane Ellison said: "Rutland risks losing not only their council but their identity." Two recent public meetings held by the county's MP Alicia Kearns revealed both concern about the pace of proposed changes and some resignation over Rutland's Conservative MP is now focusing attention on keeping at least the ceremonial status of the county. She encouraged residents to attend the meeting and submit questions after councillors she spoke to told her they'd had very little contact about the the meeting, an amendment was accepted which requires the council's leadership to conduct public engagement on local government reorganisation with the would be carried out before any proposals are submitted to government, with all councillors given a vote on the final proposals, with the government expecting outline proposals by March and full proposals by leader Gale Waller said: "Devolution has the potential to be beneficial for our communities but only if done in the right way."To move forward with local government reorganisation, further work is needed to develop firm proposals that explore all options. "We need to consider evidence around the critically important relationship between scale and physical geography. As I have said previously, councils perform best when their boundaries reflect the way people live their lives." 'Public need a say' Oakham South councillor Diane Ellison told the meeting a public consultation is needed before a decision is made. She added: "Our communities are clear and they want a say. "We do what is right for Rutland and we will not willingly give up our independence and I ask you to listen to the people Rutland and we must be absolute to protect our ceremonial status. "Rutland risks losing not only their council but their identity."Councillor for Oakham North Ramsay Ross feels the devolution discussions will "reflect issues Rutland currently faces". He added: "Despite the good work of the council, we have an economy that has shrunk, we have the lowest affordable housing as a county, an aging population and the highest council tax in England."He said the proposals are "not perfect" but said he wants the public to have a say, does not want a reduction in staff numbers at the council, wants any new authority to have Rutland in its name and consider nearby Stamford to be included in the wider authority. Analysis Political Reporter Tim ParkerThis was the first time all of Rutland's councillors had got together to discuss their future since the government's plans for devolution the feeling here, as at other councils, that the timetable for change is too short and that if they don't come to some sort of agreement with their neighbours they could end up having changed forced upon councillors have clearly already talked to some of the residents about the changes that could be coming down the track and opinions have been there was a determination during the meeting that all councillors should be able to debate any plans that are developed, before they get sent off to most councillors regardless of party want Rutland's ceremonial independence, at least, firmly kept in place.
