The Labour-run local authority has blamed rising homelessness and the soaring costs of temporary accommodation for its decision to implement one of the biggest increases to the levy in England.
But Green and independent councillors have warned that the jump in bills, which is combined with a reduction in discounts for poorer households, will hurt those who are most vulnerable.
He currently pays £1,525 a month for a two-bedroom flat that he and his wife share with their three sons.
On top of a massive jump in rent, he now faces higher council tax bills. “This is a very big burden for us,” he told The i Paper. “Nine per cent is just too much.”
Mr Fkir received an eviction notice last month and is struggling to find an affordable home (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)
Many residents have found it impossible to find affordable housing without the council’s help.
Bilqees Akhtar, 35, said her flat was filled with pests that her landlord refused to address, so she forced him to give her an eviction notice.
Ms Akhar, a customer service leader at a fast-food chain, was evicted by bailiffs and the council gave her emergency accommodation run by a private landlord.
Residents said fly-tipping has increased since the council started charging for collecting bulky items (Photo: Teri Pengilley /The i Paper)
“It’s very hard to get rehoused again, or if you’re overcrowded, they tell you to make certain things a bedroom when you cannot,” she said. “For example, a living room – even though it’s classed as a large living room, they call it a bedroom. There’s no sense.”
“I’m helpless – I’m just living in it,” she said. “I’m not happy, but I don’t want to go out of London because my kids’ school is here.”
Letting agents Masood and Virginia Ahmed said rents have become unaffordable (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)
Masood Ahmed, 60, and his wife Virginia, 60, run a letting agency in Newham and said renting is becoming a nightmare.
At the same time, he is dealing with landlords who are becoming frustrated by tenants who stop paying rent. One tenant has £60,000 in rent arrears over two years, but remains in the property because of long wait times for cases to be heard in court.
Ms Ahmed said three-bedroom flats have climbed to £2,500 and £3,000 a month and that landlords were increasing rents too much. “They are skin-ripping, you could say,” she added.
Some adverts were for sharing a room with a stranger, while others had restrictions such as vegetarians or non-Muslims only.
Asmaha Saeed, a doctor living in Newham, said inflation continues to make everything more expensive (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)A shortage of council homes means the local authority has to spend a lot of money on temporary accommodation provided by third parties.
Mr Higgins said it was “unconscionable” that the council was raising the levy while at the same time cutting council tax support. The poorest residents are eligible for a 90 per cent discount on their council tax, but this will be cut to 80 per cent.
Newham Council has been granted government permission to increase council tax by an exceptional 8.99% from April 2025 to avoid bankruptcy (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)“It’s not what residents have been being told for years. Like every other Labour council over the last 14 years of Conservative government, they’ve been saying this is all the fault of the Conservatives in government.
Services such as Our Newham Money, which provides hardship support, and Our Newham Works, which helps people find jobs, also face cuts.
Resident David Wright believes rich people should pay much more than they currently do (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)Council estates in disrepair
Newham Council’s social housing provider was found guilty of “serious failings” in a report by the housing regulator in October.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said she has repeatedly complained about broken communal lights and the overgrown garden on her council estate.
The 43-year-old said getting hold of council staff was challenging.
Rubbish dumped at a known fly-tipping hotspot in Newham (Photo: Teri Pengilley /The i Paper)
Rubbish ‘everywhere’
Firdous Ali, 49, was among numerous residents who told us their bin collections were sometimes missed.
“When I finally did get someone, they said, ‘oh, sorry, we can’t deal with that – the department’s closed,'” he said. “I put a complaint in. Lucky for me, they must have seen it, and they came and removed the rubbish.
Firdous Ali said his bins are not always emptied each week (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)
Mr Ali, a computer engineer, said he wanted to see the Government intervene to support Newham council with more funding rather than raise bills for residents.
Another resident told us she has refused to pay her council tax after her rubbish collection was repeatedly missed, leading to maggots coming out of her bin.
Graffiti on a closed Wilko store. One resident said uncleaned graffiti was a growing problem (Photo: Teri Pengilley / The i Paper)“Rubbish is everywhere,” said Mr Ahmed. “They’re asking for money to take rubbish. Sometimes we used to put it outside – we’d call them and they’d take it. Now we pay.”
Adnan Ghaus, 54, said enforcement for fly-tipping and littering needed to be improved.
Where else is council tax expected to rise?
Windsor and Maidenhead – 25 per cent
Hampshire – 15 per cent
Bradford – 15 per cent
Cheshire East – 9.99 per cent
Birmingham – 9.99 per cent
Slough – 7.99 per cent
Mr Ghaus, a postman, said the council tax rise was “too much” but inevitable. A former Labour voter, he is now too disillusioned to vote for any party.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government spokesperson said: “Despite the inheritance we have been left, we are making £69bn available for councils across England to help them drive forward the government’s Plan for Change.
“We understand the pressures councils are facing, which is why we have also committed to the largest-ever investment in homelessness prevention services of almost £1bn for this year, including £24m for Newham to help them tackle and prevent homelessness.
Newham’s mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, said: “My priority has always been to support the most vulnerable members of our community while building fairness into everything we do.
“We haven’t taken the decision on Council Tax lightly, and while it remains the lowest in outer London, we also have a support system in place through the Council Tax Reduction scheme, offering up to 90 per cent relief for pensioners and 80 per cent relief for low-income working-age households.
“The reality is, we are steadfastly committed to supporting our most vulnerable residents, transforming Newham for the better, and playing our part in fixing a country broken by the disastrous last Tory government.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( ‘Rubbish, rats, crumbling homes’: The London borough facing 9% council tax rise )
Also on site :
- WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Results & Winners: Cody Rhodes returns to aid Jey Uso & takes out John Cena; new member added to Seth Rollins' faction & more
- ‘Pod Save America’ host says he struggled over whether to talk about Biden decline
- Bears' Caleb Williams Receives More Harsh Criticism from Cam Newton