Thousands of pensioners in Worthing received council tax support in lead up to Christmas

Thousands of pensioners in Worthing received council tax support in the lead up to Christmas, new figures show.

Across England, fewer pensioners than ever received support to reduce their council tax bills, leading to eligible people missing out on the available financial support.

The Independent Age charity said the system is too difficult to navigate, and called on the Government and local authorities to create a simpler process, so everyone entitled to the support could easily get it.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show 2,451 pensioners in Worthing received council tax support in the three months to December 2023 – slightly down from 2,469 the same time the year before.

Overall, the total number of pensioners receiving the support dropped to a record low of 1.37 million, following a gradual decrease over the years since 2015, when around half a million more pensioners claimed it between October and November.

Morgan Vine, head of policy and influencing at Independent Age, said for older people on a low income, council tax reduction could mean the difference between affording food and heat, or risking their health.