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Pensioners over the age of 70 who live on their own should have their rates bills slashed by 20%, Finance Minister Peter Robinson has said. Officials from his department believe this will cost taxpayers up to £3m. He is also proposing to reduce the cap to £400,000 on the maximum value of a house which incurs rates, down from its current level of £500,000. The move, announced as part of his review of domestic rates, is likely to cost the government about £2m. About 5,000 ratepayers who own houses worth more than £400,000 would benefit from this plan. Mr Robinson also wants to introduce the rating of empty homes from April 2009. It is thought this move could raise as much as £15m for the Executive. Incentives In the longer term, the minister told assembly members he also wants to look at the introduction of a derelict-land tax aimed at ensuring incentives for disused brown-field sites in urban areas to be used for affordable housing. Mr Robinson is to consult further on the current student rates relief scheme, with a view to removing it by April 2009. Pensioners would also benefit from a planned increase from £16,000 to £50,000 in the amount of savings they are allowed to have while qualifying for special rate relief. The Department of Finance is also planning to introduce a deferment scheme so pensioners who own their own homes can defer paying rates by off-setting against the eventual sale of their homes after they die. The minister also intends to introduce rate rebates for those carrying out energy efficiency work on their homes, and a rates holiday for people buying new zero-carbon houses. At the moment, Northern Ireland does not have any such properties. Help the Aged and Age Concern both welcomed the proposed rates discounts for over 70s living on their own. "With 35% of single pensioners in Northern Ireland living on less than £90 per week, this proposed discount is a useful approach to protecting the most disadvantaged older people from falling into poverty through the new rating system," said Duane Farrell of Help the Aged. Elaine Campbell of Age Concern said the two groups would be working closely with the government to ensure that as many as possible older people benefit from the scheme. |
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