Independent councillor wants council tax frozen for pensioners (From Harrow Times)

Independent councillor Stanley Sheinwald wants Harrow Borough Council to follow Hillingdon and freeze council tax

1:47pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By Jaber Mohamed

An independent councillor wants Harrow Borough Council to freeze council tax for all pensioners in the borough.

The Hatch End councillor, Stanley Sheinwald, wants the council to take a leaf out of Hillingdon Borough Council’s book.

In Hillingdon council tax has been frozen for people over 65 for the past six years and this will continue for at least another two years.

Cllr Sheinwald said: “Pensioners have paid all their lives and if you look at the pension they get – it’s a joke.

“The government is cutting all sorts of services for the elderly and with prices for everything rising I think they are going to struggle.”

Last month the council approved a two per cent council tax increase each year for the next two years.

In Hillingdon all residents are entitled to a Hillingdon First card which provides reduced parking charges, reduced charges for leisure facilities and a discount scheme with local shops.

There is also a Brown Badge scheme which offers free parking for pensioners, who can also swim for free in the borough.

Cllr Sachin Shah, the portfolio holder for finance, said Hillingdon council get £100million more in grants because they have a larger population.

He said anyone of pension credit age will not be affected by any changes to council tax benefit.

The Queensbury ward councillor added: “Harrow is different from Hillingdon and if we had their money then we could offer those services.

“I find it odd that councillor Sheinwald would bring this up when the conservatives, his former party, voted to increase council tax in 2007, 2008 and 2009.”