Dear editor
Further to the story published on 6 January 2022 regarding the £4 million surplus in Council Tax, the two letters subsequently published appear to have missed the point.
Read: Letters: Bedford Borough Council should give everyone a refund
Read: Letters: Stop overcharging those who actually PAY their council tax
The Council haven’t overcharged anyone, the original article stated lower unemployment and fewer people claiming Council Tax Support in 2021-22 had resulted in the surplus, which is good news to hear.
In response to the first letter, it would cost a lot of money to refund every resident, the Council would have to write to them to obtain bank information etc which would cost a lot in resources and is impracticable.
In my opinion, it’s much more important for this money to be put back into the Council (and the Fire and Police service as per the article) to be used for services across the Borough.
In response to the second letter, the Council haven’t overcharged anyone, they have to set a budget for Council Tax Support (and all other services) and as stated in the original article, lower unemployment has meant that not as much money as expected has been spent on supporting people who for whatever reason cannot afford to pay their Council Tax in 2021-22.
Nobody is leeching off anyone else, there are a lot of people out there in genuine need who deserve help with their Council Tax, including a lot of people working full time on the minimum wage who cannot afford to pay all their bills.
I would urge anyone who is struggling to pay their Council Tax to contact the Council to see if they may qualify for Council Tax Support.
Simon Bayliss
Goldington
Bedford
Letters published reflect the views of the author, not Bedford Independent.
If you would like to write a letter to respond to any issues raised, please email letters@bedfordindependent.co.uk
