Call to cut troops' council tax

Members of the armed forces in Wales are being charged more council tax than those in other parts of the UK, MPs have complained.

Service personnel in England and Scotland who live in MoD properties when working have an automatic 50% cut in the tax on the UK home they own.

But in Wales it does not apply and a group of Labour MPs has called on the assembly government to change that.

The assembly government said it was in the process of reviewing the issue.

The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said local authorities were able to give council tax discounts at their discretion and urged service families who believed they were entitled to one to contact their council.

The anomaly came to light after a constituent of Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda, spoke to him about their family's situation compared to those outside Wales.

Mr Bryant then discovered that the regulations for Wales were drafted in a way that excluded job-related accommodation from council tax exemptions.

This means that unlike in England and Scotland, local authorities are given the discretion to reduce or apply no discount to the council tax for family homes owned by forces' families who have to live in MoD accommodation.

As council tax is a devolved local government issue, a group of Welsh MPs have written to the assembly government, urging them to look at this issue and restore parity throughout the UK.

Not only is it a financial saving, it makes you feel that the community recognises what you are doing Douglas Young, British Armed Forces Federation

Mr Bryant said it was a "matter of common decency" that the issue be sorted out.

"This is pretty basic. Service families make an enormous sacrifice. They go to bed at night and wake up in the morning thinking about the same thing - the safety of their loved ones who are serving abroad," he said.

"This issue of council tax reductions is something they shouldn't have to worry about, and it's easily fixed. It's already standard in England and Scotland."

'Very helpful'

The constituent who approached him, who does not want to be named, said: "I am absolutely appalled that the Welsh Assembly Government should discriminate against members of the British armed forces, who happen to come from or live in Wales."

Douglas Young, executive chairman of the British Armed Forces Federation, said the situation was "absolutely terrible".

"I was in the army for many years and served in the Gulf and the Balkans. I benefited from a reduction of council tax and it was very helpful. Not only is it a financial saving, it makes you feel that the community recognises what you are doing," he said.

The assembly government said the difference between Wales and the rest of the UK in terms of discounted council tax exists where the home in Wales is classed as a "second home".

"This is where the individual or whole family is based in military accommodation and they buy or rent another home in Wales, usually in readiness for retirement but it may equally be for the purposes of holidays etc," a spokesperson said.

"In these cases local authorities have the discretion to give a discount of between zero and 50% of the council tax bill but most authorities in Wales give no discount.

"The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to finding a way to ensure that armed services personnel are able to take advantage of a discount on council tax for homes which are genuinely intended for use a family homes when service men and women have indicated that it is their intention to leave the armed forces."

The MPs who have written to the assembly government include Kim Howells, Kevin Brennan, Chris Ruane, Madeleine Moon, Paul Murphy and Jessica Morden.

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