Give volunteers council tax discount, says LGA

29 Jul 14
People who volunteer across a host of community services including leisure centres and libraries should receive £100 off their council tax bill, the Local Government Association has suggested today.

By Richard Johnstone | 29 July 2014

People who volunteer across a host of community services including leisure centres and libraries should receive £100 off their council tax bill, the Local Government Association has suggested today.

Library worker

Submitting policy proposals for the next government to introduce in its first 100 days, the LGA called for the creation of a £50m start-up fund to allow around 500,000 volunteers to qualify for a discount.

Offering the council tax reduction would encourage people to help out in their local community, LGA chair David Sparks said, and would eventually lead to savings for the public purse greater than the initial cost.

Allowing local authorities to set the terms of a community contribution discount locally would allow them to take into account the needs of a particular area, he added, which could also include running youth clubs or helping elderly people.

‘We cannot undervalue the contribution made by those who give up their spare time to help a local charity, support the library or provide a meal and a friendly face to an elderly neighbour,’ Sparks said.

‘The efforts of these community heroes do not just improve the lives of those they directly support. In these times of austerity, they have taken the strain off stretched services and lightened the load on local taxpayers. We need to do more to recognise and encourage people who give up their spare time for the good of their community.’

Local authorities already have the ability to introduce discretionary local discounts, and in some parts of the country those who volunteer as special constables and army reservists receive some reduction in bills.
However, the LGA stated that widespread introduction of such initiatives had been hindered by government funding reductions, such as the localisation of council tax support alongside a 10% cut in funding. A new dedicated fund for community discounts would support ongoing efforts to reward local volunteers, Sparks added.

‘Volunteers play a key role in working alongside council staff to improve services, and bring huge benefits to the economy. By making money available for supporting council efforts to reward local volunteers, government could reap the benefits for families, neighbourhoods and the national economy many times over.’

But the National Council for Voluntary Organisations said the LGA’s proposal raised both practical problems and questions of principle.

‘To monitor volunteers’ involvement and to prevent abuse it would be necessary to create an inspection and audit regime that would be burdensome for both charities and local authorities. Charities would not welcome the role of being gatekeepers to these incentives,’ said Justin Davis Smith, NCVO’s executive director for volunteering and development.

‘The principle of volunteering is that it is done freely. There comes a point where rewards for volunteering muddy the water and undermine this principle, and this proposal is certainly approaching that point. It also risks falling foul of minimum wage legislation which requires volunteers to be unpaid.

 

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