IFS say "More bad news for the economy."

More bad news for the economy as the respected think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies have warned that Government borrowing is likely to be £64 billion more than planned by Chancellor George Osborne only 2 years ago. With current Government policy cutting living standards, freezing  wages, more and more redundancies and job losses, price rises, cuts in welfare for those most in need.

If this was not bad enough, now we are faced with future tax increases. This is just a further example that the coalition economic policy is just not working. This talk of cutting the deficit all seems a bit hollow.

The IFS warned "tax will have to rise  and currently protected services like the NHS will be cut."

Despite frequent warnings on the problems facing the economy the Government continue to say they have no plans to change course.  "It`s not the medicine that`s not working," the Government say, "you just haven't had enough of it yet."     So now you know, keep taking the pills, and bitter pills at that.

George Crane.
Fryent Councillors

BENEFIT CUTS – DOES THIS AFFECT YOU?

If you are receiving some form of benefit you are likely to see reductions in the amount you receive next year in April 2013.

The government ismaking radical reforms to change the welfare system, many people are already losing out.

Council Tax benefit is being replaced by Council tax support – a Government inspired scheme. 

Brent Council estimates over 21 thousand families will have their benefit reduced.

Will you be one of them – check this out now!

www.brent.gov.uk/welfarereform

Fryent Councillors

COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT SUPPORT

There is bad news on the way for local residents who currently get Council Tax Benefit.

Localising support for council tax

The government is proposing to localise support for council tax from 2013–14. CTB will be abolished, and local authorities in England – and the Scottish and Welsh governments – must design their own systems for rebating council tax to low-income families. Entitlement rates for pensioners in England will still be set nationally and maintained at their existing level.

Cutting support for council tax

As well as localising support for council tax, the government is also planning to cut funding for it by 10 per cent, giving each local authority a grant based on 90 per cent of what would have been spent on CTB in that area – meaning a larger cash funding cut in areas where CTB spending is higher.

Central government is forcing each local authority to come up with its own scheme for Council Tax benefit, and abolishing the national scheme. Brent will be publishing its proposals for consultation in early June. These are being rushed through for implementation in April 2013, which effectively means that Councils will have had little time to respond and consult on the government plans by the end of this year.

The April 2013 deadline means that the necessary scheme  design and implementation is kept to an almost impossibly short time table.

This is just another example of Government making decisions that Local Councils have to implement and probably will get the blame for. 

Please pass this on so as many people as possible know what’s happening.

Fryent Councillors.

Churches oppose benefit cuts.

The Head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster has condemned the coalition Government cuts in welfare benefit, particularly housing benefit. He is concerned that thousands of poor families may be forced out of their homes.

His letter to Ian Duncan Smith MP, reported in the Times,  follows similar concerns raised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams who recently wrote a quest editorial in the New Statesman. The Churches are particularly anxious about the cuts as they help the worst affected.

Sadly I don’t think anyone in Government is  listening