STRUGGLING Scots are devastated after Glasgow & Edinburgh councils confirmed the largest tax increase in 20 years.
In Glasgow, a deal was struck by SNP and Green councillors to raise the tax by 7.5 per cent to plug a funding gap of £7.9million.
Glaswegians are facing a huge council tax hike – the largest in 20 years[/caption]
1But many feel like their money is being wasted by the council on projects like Sauchiehall Street[/caption]
Rubbish bins overflow in the carpark at Drumbrae Leisure Centre in Edinburgh[/caption]
Rubbish is left as cleansing teams are cut[/caption]
Meanwhile, Labour-run Edinburgh approved an increase of 8 per cent after the party reached an agreement with the Lib Dems.
There were also bumper rises of 10 per cent signed-off by councillors in the Borders and North Lanarkshire, while an 8.2 per cent increase was confirmed in Fife.
It is despite the UK inflation rate being 3 per cent in the year to January 2025, largely driven by soaring food prices.
Michael Munro Dunn thinking Edinburgh City Council don’t provide value for money[/caption]
Michael Munro-Dunn, 79, a retired oilfield engineer from the west end of Edinburgh, said: “For my wife it will be devastating.
“She’s on disability benefits and can’t work. But she will still have to pay full council tax.
“I don’t think the council is providing value for money. It was when we were getting a reasonable level of good service.
“Now we are getting cutbacks in all different aspects of our economy.
“They Scottish Government should provide funding to councils which are having to deal with a huge population, which is rapidly increasing.
“They need to address public services across the board and need to look at the social aspect as well, particularly for the older people who are really struggling to meet their bills.”
Karl Wisniewsai, 40, a software developer from Haymarket, said: “It will affect me, but not in a great way.
“I think the council is trying its best. They do what they can.
Karl Wisniewsai thinks the local authority are doing their best[/caption]
“The central government doesn’t have the money either.
“I’m ok with the raise because I can afford it. I hope people who can’t afford it are protected against it.
“I think money should be put towards infrastructure, education and security.”
Colin Valentine, 63, a retired civil servant from Edinburgh’s west end, said: “It won’t impact me overly much.
“It has been at zero per cent for a number of years. It’s not a great deal in the grand scheme of things.
Colin Valentine thinks the Scottish Government could have provided more help[/caption]
“I think given their circumstances the council is probably providing value for money.
“The Scottish Government could have provided more help by not freezing the council tax.
“They should put the money into proper services.”
Alison Allen, 75, a retired NHS worker from south Edinburgh, said: “It’s extra money we have to pay. You never notice extra value in the services we get.
“We’ll be alright, but I’m sure for some people it will be quite difficult.
Alison Allen said social care is an obvious problem as we need good basic services[/caption]
“I suppose like everyone else I wish they’d fill the potholes. I don’t think Edinburgh is alone in that.
“We can always ask the Scottish Government for more money, but they have to make sure they are spending it on the sensible things.
“You need good basic services. Social care is obviously a problem.”
In Glasgow, Willie Bell, 83, from Springburn, said: “Another hike in council tax would affect me majorly.
“I can barely afford it as is. I come into the town centre almost every day, and it’s in some nick.
Willie Bell of Springburn said he will be badly affected by the hike[/caption]
“Sauchiehall Street, in particular, has been ruined. The council have forked out millions of pounds, and it’s still a state.
“There are homeless people everywhere. People are suffering, and the powers that be are doing nothing about it.
“I’m a carer for my wife who’s got vascular dementia. I feel like nobody cares for me.”
Fundraiser Mollie-Jo Fraher, 28, originally from Waterford in Ireland, said: “I moved to Glasgow just over a year ago from London.
“Another rise in council tax is just shocking. It is infuriating. They have some audacity.
Molly Fraser moved to Glasgow a year ago[/caption]
“Just looking at the city centre, you’d have no idea there was any investment going into it.
“I’m privileged enough to have a good wage, but I pay around £180 every month in council tax.
“There’s no focus on our community spaces. There’s litter everywhere.
“Poverty seems to be at an all-time high. Where is this council tax going? Nothing’s getting done. It’s beyond a joke.”
Patrick Beckett, 37, from Greenock, said: “Council tax and water tax are far too expensive already.
“The cost of living crisis is bad enough as is. My rent is relatively cheap but if I lived bang in the city centre, I’d have no chance.
Patrick Beckett thinks council tax was already too expensive[/caption]
“I pay £160 a month for my council tax every month and for what?
“Public services are under so much pressure and it’s becoming unbearable. Bins are overflowing. The roads are a riot.
“The council have some cheek to ask for more.”
Retiree Kathleen O’Neill, 67, from Milngavie, Glasgow, said: “This is a nightmare. It’s shocking.
“The council are spending our money on the most pointless things.
Kathleen O’Neill said the spending on cycle lanes has been ridiculous[/caption]
“The roads are covered in potholes, waste services are absolutely shocking.
“They’re spending money on ridiculous things like cycle lanes that nobody uses. It’s terrible.”
Former civil servant Gordon McDonald, 78, from Shawlands, Glasgow, said: “I spend nearly £200 a month for my council tax at the minute. It’s a fortune. Glasgow is a total tip.
“The council are asking people for money and what the hell do they do with it? They’re not even emptying our bins now. It’s neglect.
Gordon McDonald already pays £200 a month for his council tax in Glasgow – before the rise[/caption]
They need to rethink their plan. I don’t grudge spending that money but I’d like to see something come of it, but right now, all we have to show for it is a dilapidated city centre, roads covered in potholes and cycle lanes left, right and centre.”
There were also bumper rises of 10 per cent signed-off by councillors in the Borders and North Lanarkshire, while an 8.2 per cent increase was confirmed in Fife.
It is despite the UK inflation rate being 3 per cent in the year to January 2025, largely driven by soaring food prices.
Citizens Advice Scotland’s financial health spokesman Myles Fitt said: “We are very concerned at the impact these rises will have on people already struggling with the cost of living.
“Council tax debt is the single biggest debt the Scottish CAB network deals with each year and our fear is these rises could further increase numbers of people falling into debt or falling further into debt.
19/02/25……..Saucjhiehall Street Glasgow[/caption]
19/02/25……..Saucjhiehall Street Glasgow[/caption]
“We urge councils to do everything they can to raise awareness of the various council tax reductions that are available so that those that are eligible to pay less have that opportunity in the face of these rises.”
And Tory Shadow Finance Secretary Craig Hoy said: “Councils across Scotland have been put in an impossible position, thanks to years of SNP underfunding.”
The latest hikes, affecting around one million households across Scotland, come after East Lothian became the first local authority to approve a double-digit rise of 10 per cent earlier this week.
At the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, First Minister John Swinney rejected the suggestion that hikes were needed due to years of underfunding by the SNP.
Mr Swinney had previously warned against double-digit increases, and said he didn’t think rises of 10 per cent would be necessary.
He told reporters at Holyrood: “We’ve given a real-terms increase in core funding to local government, and the overall package for local government is £1billion extra in local government funding.
“Now, I accept there will be increases in council tax, there will obviously be variation around the country because we’re seeing differential levels of that emerging from the data that’s already coming forward.
“But, I think what the Government is doing is investing and supporting local authorities, but obviously we’ve had to deal with enormous financial pressures – the 14 years of austerity that we’ve had to live through from the United Kingdom Government.
“And what we’re doing now is investing in Scottish local government to strengthen delivery of public services.”
27-12-2024.News – rubbish bins overflow and busy recycle centres in Edinburgh after Christmas…Overflowing bins in the carpark at Drumbrae Leisure Centre…Pic:Andy Barr..www.andybarr.com..Copyright Andrew Barr Photography..No reuse without permission..andybarr@mac.com.+44 7974923919.[/caption]
03/1/25….Rubbish stewn milonpark street Kinningpark[/caption]
poor male collect goods with kid[/caption]
Setting out the Budget for Glasgow City Council, Treasurer and SNP councillor Ricky Bell said £6.75million would be ring-fenced for 200 street cleansing workers, and for helping maintain roads, pavements and parks in the city.
And he said: “This is a Budget that responds to the priorities of Glaswegians.”
The tax changes in Glasgow will see residents in the lowest value Band A properties seeing their council tax rise by £74.95 from £999,33 a year to £1,074.28.
And for those in the highest value Band H, tax will increase by £275.44 from £3,672.55 to £3,947.99 per year.
In the City of Edinburgh, Band A council taxpayers will see an increase of £77.21 from £965.13 to £1,042.34, while those in Band H will see a rise of £283.75 from £3,546.84 to £3,830.59.
Tax Reform Needed Over Poverty Fears
CHARITY bosses have raised fears over the impact the hefty tax hikes will have upon Scots already struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Ruth Boyle, from the Poverty Alliance, called for a “fair” system of local taxation to be brought in to replace the “regressive” council tax.
She said: “We have been waiting for years for political leaders to take responsibility to bring in a progressive system of local taxes that will ease the burden on low-income households and raise the investment our local services so desperately need.”
Lalitha Try, an economist at the Resolution Foundation, added: “Council tax is a regressive tax, which means lower-income households spend more of their income on it than higher-income households.
“The poorest fifth of households in the UK spend more than three times as much of their income on Council Tax as the richest fifth of families do.
“While councils are understandably trying to bring in more revenue as they struggle to provide vital public services with squeezed finances, we need a new system of council tax that is both more proportional than the current system and related to current property values, to ensure the costs are shared fairly”.
Political opponents also slated Scottish Government ministers, as they said years of “brutal” SNP cuts were forcing councils into making “impossible choices”.
Scottish Labour’s local government spokesman Mark Griffin said: “Scots are facing a double whammy of council tax hikes and service cuts as a result of the SNP’s chronic underfunding of local services. Scots cannot keep being forced to pay more for less as a result of SNP failure.”
