A charity is urging more local authorities across England to exempt terminally ill people from paying council tax. Marie Curie has secured commitments from 16 councils and is pushing others to follow suit, arguing the relief can provide crucial financial support to families already facing immense challenges.
Manchester City Council introduced the exemption over the summer, while Barnsley Council implemented it last month. Bristol, Salford and Preston have committed to launching similar schemes soon. An additional 11 councils have passed motions to explore introducing dedicated relief policies.
Financial pressure at life's end
The campaign comes as Marie Curie estimates that 111,000 people die in poverty every year in the UK. Senior Policy Manager Jamie Thunder said: "With a significant proportion of terminally ill people relying on benefits as their main source of income, council tax relief can be a huge support for families facing financial hardship."
Thunder applauded the pioneering councils: "These councils have set a powerful precedent for compassionate local governance, showing that practical policy change is possible." The charity urged all councils across England to adopt the exemption and encouraged those who have passed supportive motions to act swiftly: "No one should spend their final months worrying about bills."
Councillor Robert Frost from Barnsley Council said: "We recognise the emotional and often financial pressure that is placed upon people and families when someone is nearing the end-of-life due to a terminal illness." He added: "We hope that awarding the 100% council tax reduction will help to remove some pressure from households during these extremely difficult times. As a council, we feel this is the right thing to do."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
