The chances are that defiant pensioner Richard Fitzmaurice, 75, won’t stay in prison for too long before a generous do-gooder pays his outstanding council tax bill.
Anyway, John Reid might need the cell for a more deserving case, such as a robber or rapist, a real criminal or two, rather than a plucky pensioner standing up for himself.
The Norfolk war veteran was taken away still wearing his red poppy. He wanted his protest to highlight the unfairness of the council tax system. He wanted the world to know that pensioners could not keep up with these unfair payments, rising faster than inflation. Help the Aged is extremely worried about it too, saying it is driving many of the UK’s 10.4 million pensioners into poverty.
In particular, Richard Fitzmaurice was very angry about £23,000 legal fees his local authority paid for his council leader with local taxpayers’ money. This made him see red. He took his placard to court saying he would rather go to jail than pay his arrears of £1,000. And so that’s where he is, elevated to national hero status, except in the eyes of his grumpy wife who is quoted as saying:
“He’s an idiot. He has rung me from the cells and he’s full of himself. But he has put me through a lot and at my age I can’t be doing with it.
“I’m certainly not going to visit him. I can’t drive. I depend on him. I’m really rather angry with him. He thinks it’s going to be a laugh. He’s a silly old . . . oh, I nearly sweared.�
They sound like a couple of Victor Meldrews, united by their moans and groans of the day!
This case made me wonder why/if it is only pensioners who take this drastic action to complain about the council tax, which has soared 84% under Labour. What about the rest of the population struggling to keep its head above water? What action could we take to make the Government sit up and listen?
It’s obviously ludicrous to be jailed for this kind of protest, only a short while ago John Reid was talking about using police cells to cope with our overflowing prisons. It would appear that these headline hitting pensioners do revert back to being law-abiding citizens as we don’t hear of them again.
They are not criminals. They are angry about an unjust stealth tax and want to be heard. While pensioners are means-tested for the benefits they receive, council tax rates depend on the value of their property.
This leads to the absurd situation where an older couple living in their own home, receiving just £182.00 between them from their state pensions, could end up paying the same level of council tax as their neighbours, a young and wealthy couple with an income of tens of thousands.
Help the Aged has stated a fair case, that the council tax system needs to be made fairer for older people – one based on people’s ability to pay, not just where they live.
Our laws and regulations are made by people with comfy jobs and bank balances, it’s time for them to have a more realistic view of what it’s like to be a pensioner, they should try living on their budget for a month or two.
I agree it seems unjust but there are issues with any way of raising local tax.
Proponents of proerty based taxes point out that it is a lot harder to hide a house than an income.
The real issue is the vast increase in the tax over the Labour years.
I’ve just read that house prices are rising 8% a year – almost four times the rate of inflation. Many pensioners may still be living in family homes and not want to move out, but may be forced to because of crippling council tax bills based on the value of their home.
Well, there is also an issue with people in general. The fact that your house is worth more does not mean you are paid more. This is doubly so for people in rented accomodation particularly social housing.
The council tax is a nastily regressive tax that hurts those on the lowest income. Pensioners most of all. And what do councils do with the money they raise? The Audit Commission revealed last year that only three councils are providing taxpayers with value for money, with a further 41 per cent of councils surveyed only doing so to an “adequate” level. Dreadful.
I certainly think that it’s time people paid a form of council tax according to their means rather than the perceived value of their property.
yes i think he should go to jail…..because as quoted from the lynn news today…..He offered to pay the total bill of £1,435 (including costs) and give £500 to a charity if Mr Dobson paid the same amount to an organisation looking after pensioners in the area.
so he can obviously afford to pay his council tax unlike many people…..
i also think..it’s time people paid a form of council tax according to their means rather than the perceived value of their property.
Once upon a time we did have a fairer way to raise local taxes. It was one where everyone paid for their local services rather than just householders.
It was called the Community Charge but due to cowardice of the Government at the time it was withdrawn. Maybe if the Community Charge had been allowed to build a track record over a decade or so, folk would have realised the only objectors to it were those who preferred to freeload on the backs of ratepayers (of all ages).
Let’s try it again but this time stick with it for a while before deciding whether it works or not?
I’m sorry but I think it should be based on the number of people in a house and the amount of services they therefore use. I always thought it was ridiculous that I, as a single person, had to pay the same as the family of 6 next door. The dreaded “poll tax” was the one piece of legislation by which I benefitted but, of course, households of more than one person protested and they are stronger so they won. [I just know this will enrage everybody.] And how do you judge “ability to pay”? Everybody’s needs are different.
I have some sympathy with the wife of the pensioner above, though, as I do not drive either and know how difficult it may be for her to visit him. Maybe she is not grumpy but just exasperated!
I agree with Istanbultory, people should pay based upon their means. Not based upon the value of your home or the improvements that you have made to it.
However the drawback would be the amount of information you would have to provide for a true form of means testing. There seems to be a lot of fear (rightly so) about government databases.
“Anyway, John Reid might need the cell for a more deserving case, such as a robber or rapist, a real criminal or two, rather than a plucky pensioner standing up for himself.”
What’s the alternative? Keep sending pleading letters and hope that he pays up eventually?
Why council tax is the same for an OAP as any other is beyond me. With the pittance they get a week, one would think it was greatly reduced to compensate for the lack of earnings.
Hmmm. Tricky one this. I see it in a new perspective, just having started a life on a fixed income! On radio phone-in programmes many have made the point that it seems absurd to send a pensioner to jail whilst paying compensation to drug-addicts in prison. We obviously need the right to protest, but you can’t take the law into your own hands.
I have much sympathy for what you write Ellee. A local sales tax seems a good concept.
This case made me wonder why/if it is only pensioners who take this drastic action to complain about the council tax, which has soared 84% under Labour. What about the rest of the population struggling to keep its head above water?
clearly you don’t visit DK, Ellee.
Pensioners shouldn’t have to pay council tax in an ideal world. A local income tax would be a good start.
I don’t like people who with-hold taxes at all. In the same way as I dsliked those CND people in the 80’s who refused to pay part of their income tax because it was to be spent on Trident missile systems.
We have a society which says that taxes are levied and you pay them. If you don’t like the taxes then campaign for a party with a different policy on taxation.
I like the way you are supporting a system which is based more on people’s ability to pay. Its called Local Income Tax, its a Lib Dem policy which has been tried and tested all over the world and the tax system the Inland Revenue uses is already set up to run it (the computer system was bought lock stock and barrel from a country that has LIT).
You make good valid points (for a Tory !)
My views are my own and not based on any party policy. I know that Conservatives are against the present council tax system and this levy will change when they are in power.
I appreciate you have your own views. My blog also is not a mouthpiece of the Liberal Democrats. Free speech rules !!
I wasn’t aware of any alternative policy the Tories had for council tax. It has never been published and the last time ti was discussed Michael Howard was leader and he fully supporter Council Tax, as did the Tory Party.
P.S. I appreciate the link to your site.
Ellee, I disagree. Why should local taxes be based merely on the ability to pay?
If he opposes high levels of council tax, he should vote for a party proposing cuts to local services. That local council tax only partially funds local services should be ignored!
Richard Fitzmaurice can console himself that approximately 25% of his council tax payments are used to pay the pensions of former council workers rather than provide him with any services for his money. He could also console himself with the idea that people on benefits and students can be exempt from the council tax!
Should a large family with three children living in a small house pay more council tax than a pensioner couple living in a large house?
People commenting here seem to forget that those on low incomes can claim _council tax benefit_. Pensioners just on the basic state pension do not have to pay the full council tax. Only those pensioners who have significant pensions will be doing so.
A lot of the criticism of council tax is based on ignorance. Property is far more lightly taxed in the UK than in other countries – being exempt from VAT in most cases and capital gains tax. To abolish council tax would be to shift the burden of taxation still further on those with average incomes but few assets [the local income tax would make a young worker weighed down by student loans, living in a rented room – due to high house prices- and earning £20,000 pay more than a pensioner earing £19,000 living in a £500,000+ house and with large amounts of savings/assets].
VS, totally agree!
Besides, if he doesn’t go to prison, why should I bother to pay my council tax either?
Well Richard Fitzmaurice had his five minutes of fame and was freed after his outstanding arrears were paid, I believe by his family:
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=25400&in_page_id=34