UK is heading for a depth of poverty and debt related ill health not seen for a century. Majority of Haringey Council is leading race to bottom; it’s Health and Wellbeing Board is culpably silent
TO LABOUR COUNCILLORS OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF HARINGEY
On Monday 4th December I have a clash of evening meetings and have decided not to observe the full Council Meeting.
Since 2012 Taxpayers Against Poverty has drawn the attention of Haringey Councillors to the damage done to the health of low income residents by taxing their benefit incomes shredded by national government an then enforcing the council tax with court costs 20,000 times a year and with bailiffs fees added 11,000 times a year. The HDV can only make health worse still for council tenants and leaseholders whose homes Councillors are planning to demolish.
The council has a Health and Wellbeing Board; it has been culpably silent about;
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the damage done to health of residents by the council taxing benefit incomes shredded by national government
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the health risks to tenants and leaseholders of HDV and
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the need generally to prevent with adequate incomes and truly affordable housing the mental and physical illness, low birthweight and shortened lives caused by low income, rising rents and prices, and inevitable debts.
The bailiffs have visited residents who have been without income during a three months benefit sanction under the old job seekers allowance. Rent and council tax arrears pile up while residents have no income. They are then enforced over further punishing months. Then the first payment of Universal Credit (UC) is delayed by five weeks. After that UC can leave claimants without income for a further month at a time due to a zero hours contract; that creates further debt problems. Undeniably Low income and debt impact on mental and physical health; no income and debt is so much worse.
Low benefit incomes are taxed by the council while high corporate and individual incomes disappear tax free into tax havens. The UK is heading for a depth of poverty and debt related ill health not seen for a century. A majority of Haringey Council is among those leading the race to the bottom.
With good wishes,
Paul
Please sign Haringey council tax health and well-being petition