‘No plans’ to raise council tax but Rayner does not rule out discounts cut

Conservative former minister Graham Stuart said the discount ‘is so important to pensioners’.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner (Chris Furlong/PA) (PA Wire)

Westminster has no plans to increase English council taxes, Angela Rayner has confirmed, but she declined to say whether she would scrap the single person discount to the bill.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, told the Commons her Government “is about making sure that working people are better off”.

But when asked about the single person discount, which reduces council tax bills by 25% for taxpayers who live alone, Ms Rayner did not commit to keeping it in place.

Conservative former minister Graham Stuart said the discount “is so important to pensioners who are already losing out because of the absence of the winter fuel allowance”, a reference to the previously universal payment to pensioners of up to £300, which the new Labour Government has announced will be available only to eligible benefits claimants from 2024.

He urged Ms Rayner to “guarantee today, put gladness into all their hearts across the country,” that she would not look at removing the discount.

Ms Rayner replied: “I find it astonishing that members opposite, after running down the economy in the way that they have, after the Chancellor had to come to this House to talk about the billions of pounds black hole, that they’re now trying to claim that this Government is about raising taxes.

“This Government is about making sure that working people are better off and we’ll intend to do that.”

Shadow housing, communities and local government secretary Kemi Badenoch earlier told MPs: “It’s been reported that the Secretary of State is being lobbied to increase council tax and remove discounts like the single occupant discount.

“Will she take this opportunity to reassure the House that the Government has no plans to increase council tax as they assured us before the election?”

Ms Rayner replied: “Yes.”