 CAS believes the system should be overhauled |
Delays in the processing of council tax benefits are causing major problems for the poorest people, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has warned. The organisation has urged MSPs to overhaul the way council tax is administered.
It said one in four of the people visiting its offices with debt problems are in arrears with their council tax.
CAS has called on the parliament to introduce a fairer and more cost effective system as soon as possible.
The organisation dealt with 14,000 inquiries relating to council tax benefit last year.
It said those on low incomes were eligible for benefits but the system was hampered by unnecessary bureaucracy leading to delays in payment.
It said there was also no relief for water and sewerage charges which were collected alongside council tax.
In a briefing-sheet sent to all 129 MSPs, CAS - the umbrella body for Scotland's Citizens Advice Bureaux - said: "Given the scale and complexity of the problems our clients experience with council tax and council tax benefit, comprehensive reform is required."
It urged MSPs to amend debt laws that allow creditors to freeze money in bank accounts which it said could push vulnerable people from debt into destitution.
CAS chief executive Kaliani Lyle said: "The present system is complex and our clients encounter problems at every stage.
"Delays in processing, unnecessary bureaucracy, incorrect application of the many rules surrounding council tax benefits as well as those concerning liability, discounts and exemptions, all exacerbate the hardship of the poorest."
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The present system is complex and our clients encounter problems at every stage
