Islington councillor Jessica Asato warned Hilldrop Estate residents that they could be left “absolutely destitute” if a new “poll tax” comes into force.
A group of Labour activists campaigned on the estate on Sunday against the government’s planned abolition of council tax benefit next April.
The government is planning to replace council tax benefit with grants to local authorities and to let these authorities decide how they are allocated, but the grants will be about 10 percent less than councils had this year.
Ms Asato, the Labour councillor for St George’s ward, said: “At the same time millionaires are getting a £40,000 tax cut, 20,000 Islington residents, many of whom are on the lowest incomes, will be facing an average council tax increase of £192 a year.
“Clearly we’re not all in this together. We believe it will leave a lot of families absolutely destitute, so that’s why we’re going door-to-door asking people to join us in our fight against the new poll tax.”
Bob Drinkwater, the Building Manager of the Hilldrop Estate, said: “That’s part of the Government’s general cuts programme. There are an awful lot of cuts that are affecting people.”
The council is holding a consultation with residents about the planned changes, which will not affect pensioners, by sending out postal surveys and opening an online questionnaire on Friday. The consultation is open to the public until the end of November.
