Lynne Featherstone

Haringey Council has been criticised by Lib Dem councillors in the borough for not knowing how many of the borough’s 28,000 pensioners entitled to Council Tax benefit do not receive it. Lib Dems says that pensioners failing to claim the benefit can experience considerable hardship as a result. Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Lynne Featherstone says Haringey must do more to ensure that pensioners struggling to pay Haringey Council’s extremely high Council Tax receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

The move follows a written question by the Lib Dems at last week’s full council meeting which asked Harigeny to indicate how many pensioners were not claiming Council Tax benefit. The figure is believed to run into hundreds or more, but the Council replied that it did not have precise details available.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Lynne Featherstone comments:

“Hundreds of pensioners are suffering needless worry and hardship from Haringey’s high Council Tax bills – and many are entitled to help they are not receiving.

“Haringey has undertaken to do more to encourage pensioners to claim benefits to which they are fully entitled, and we will continue to keep up the pressure to ensure that they do so.”