Tenants extra

Campaigners claim the poor are being hit hardest and footing bill for council tax freeze for wealthy

- PAUL HUTCHEON

 

SCOTS council house tenants are footing the bill for steep rent rises at a time of huge pressure on family budgets.

Increases of up to eight per cent have been pushed through while the SNP government bankrolls a council tax freeze.

Aditi Jehangir, secretary of the Living Rent trade union, said: “Freezing council tax whilst letting councils increase rents clearly shows that council tenants are not a priority for the Scottish Government.

“ It is shocking the government is continuing to ignore the needs of tenants while the wealthiest households are able to enjoy a council tax freeze. The Scottish Government needs to enable councils to freeze rents and to ensure councils are able to properly fund public services.”

Humza Yousaf is under sustained pressure after he allocated at least £147million for a national council tax freeze.

Anti-poverty groups say the policy benefits people who live in the biggest homes and gives the poorest no financial benefit.

Figures obtained by the Record show the tax freeze stands in contrast to rent rises for council tenants. Edinburgh council tenants will see their bills rise by seven per cent while

CRITICISM  FM Humza Yousaf for renters with Wheatley Homes Glasgow, the city’s biggest social landlord, the figure is 7.5 per cent. The increase in Midlothian is 4.8 per cent, seven per cent for North Lanarkshire and 6.5 per cent in neighbouring South Lanarkshire.