Communities secretary Eric Pickles plans to give local authorities the power to scrap council tax discounts on empty homes and slap extra charges on landlords if their properties have been vacant for more than two years. They are part of 'discretionary' measures, outlined in a consultation, which aims to help hard-working families and pensioners with their council tax bills. If the 'discretionary' measures - which also includes scrapping council tax relief for second home owners - are taken up, the theory is that councils could cut tax bills for hard-working families. The measures sit alongside the two-year freeze on council tax and cuts to the amount of cash local authorities can hand out for help with council tax bills. Download a copy of the consultation document from the CLG website.
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