Peers Win Council Tax Benefit Review

Peers have defeated the government on an amendment to the Local Government Finance Bill.  The bill will abolish council tax benefit and replace it with a grant which only covers 90 per cent of the cost in order to save £500 million.  Now peers have voted to accept an amendment which would force the communities secretary to commission an independent review of council tax benefit reduction schemes within three years. The amendment, tabled by Labour peer Baroness Patricia Hollis, Liberal Democrat Lord John Shipley and crossbencher Lord Richard Best, was passed by 203 votes to 165. Baroness Hollis warned that the council tax localisation policy risks ‘poll tax mark two’. Read more on Inside Housing.