COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION FOR 6,330 HOMES IN MIDLOTHIAN AND 6,870 HOMES IN EAST LOTHIAN

​SNP SCHEME SAVES SCOTTISH HOUSEHOLDS £6.4 MILLION
 
Colin Beattie MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh has welcomed new figures showing that 6,330 in Midlothian and 6,870 in East Lothian have benefitted from the SNP Government’s Council Tax Reduction scheme in March 2019.
 
The scheme helps provides financial support to low income households, saved families in Midlothian an estimated £94.3 and in East Lothian an estimated £95.5 a week in March. 
 
Between 2013/14 and the end of 2018/19 the SNP Government invested over £1.4 billion into the Council Tax Reduction Scheme – recently extending the scheme to include higher band households who fall below average earnings up to a maximum of £25,000 net income.
 
The move has helped support an extra 54,000 households in Scotland – a third of them pensioner households.
 
Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“In the face of huge cuts from the UK Tory government, the SNP has managed to help almost half a million households every year with their council tax bill.
 
“Just under 80% of those households are totally exempt from council tax thanks to the scheme.
 
“In March alone, the Council Tax Reduction scheme has helped 6,330 households in Midlothian (saving local families an estimated £94.3 a week in March) and 6,870 households in East Lothian (saving local families an estimated £95.5 a week in March). 
 
“I would encourage anyone who thinks they might be eligible for a reduction in their council tax to get in touch with their local Citizen’s Advice Bureau for advice.”