Mayor and Cabinet Challenged over Unfair Post Office Council Tax Charge

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have issued a challenge to the Mayor and his Cabinet to show support for local post offices and hard-pressed local residents by bringing an end to the unfair charge on the payment of council tax bills at the Post Office. The charge was introduced in April 2006 in the face of fierce opposition from the Liberal Democrat Group, while each of the other political groups supported its introduction.

In October a Liberal Democrat Motion calling for the charge to be scrapped received overwhelming support at a meeting of the Full Council, but was opposed by the Mayor and the Conservative Finance Portfolio Holder. At a meeting of the Borough Council Executive Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader on Wednesday (17th December) Cllr David Sawyer will demand that the Mayor and his Cabinet follow the clearly-expressed will of the Full Council and restore free council tax payments at the Post Office.

Commenting, Cllr Sawyer said: "This indefensible council tax surcharge on local post office users must be brought to an end. A large number of essential local post offices have been lost to savage closures by both Labour and Tory governments, and shamefully the council has only worsened the plight of remaining branches by ending free council tax payments. Local branches have had a range of services taken away by the Labour Government, only for the council to also take business away at a time when its support for local branches has been sorely needed.'

"With local taxpayers feeling the effects of the deepening economic crisis, to force them to pay nearly £25 a year on top of their council tax bill is deeply unfair. Those who continue to use the post office include some of the most vulnerable in our communities including the elderly and those on low incomes. The council subsidises all other methods of payment bar those made at the post office, so the call to end the post office charge is simply a call for fairness.'

"The Mayor and the Tory and Labour Members of his Cabinet were wrong to introduce this charge in 2006, but the overwhelming expression of the will of Full Council has given them all a chance to swallow their pride and finally put things right on this matter. It is imperative for local post offices and for local taxpayers that they take this chance."

The introduction of the charge has seen the number of people using the Post Office in Bedford Borough to pay council tax bills plummet from over 5,000 per month to around 1,500. Meanwhile, those who continue to use the post office face an additional charge of £2.35 each time they pay their monthly council tax bill. The council continues to cover the transaction costs of all other methods of payment, which remain free.