The recent
Public Accounts Committee report in to how the Fat Controller handled the changes to Council Tax benefit came to the conclusion that the department hadn't a clue what the consequences of their actions were. Another interpretation was they couldn't care less. One has got to give credit where credit is due though, Eric has managed to introduce a Poll Tax without anyone noticing, the principal that you have to pay something even if you have no money is the basis for his !0% cut in council tax support. (His meddling, the report points out, means that in some areas, working age people however low their income, will have to pay 30% of their council tax).
- Among the conclusions the Public Accounts Committee reaches is that the Eric Pickles Department does not yet fully understand the combined impact of the new Council Tax Support (Council Tax benefits schemes) and other welfare changes on the demand for local services. It is therefore recommended that the Department assess these combined impacts, including how they vary across local authorities.
- It also concluded that Eric Pickles Department does not have enough information about what impact local scheme choices have had on vulnerable groups.
