A FAIRER AND MORE AFFORDABLE MERTON
Everyone deserves the means to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. However, in the current climate with the high cost of living, this feels increasingly further from reach for many. Energy bills and food prices are up, and the average Merton Council Tax has topped £2,000 for the first time.
To make matters worse, Merton Labour are applying inflation-busting increases to many Council services, like parking and garden waste collection. In Mitcham & Morden, almost 4 out of every 10 children live in relative poverty – a figure that’s stayed the same for a decade.
For those who choose to live and work here, the Liberal Democrats are committed to a fairer and more affordable Merton, supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis.
1. Ensure Council bills are kept as low as possible. We will fight nationally to reform local government finance to ensure local councils are properly resourced and Council Tax increases can be kept down. We will review Merton Labour’s above inflation hikes in charges for hundreds of Council services, taking into account the cost of living emergency, including looking at price differentials for some services between different parts of the borough.
2. Deliver high quality modular homes to provide urgent housing and achieve better value for taxpayers. Merton Labour spent around £16 million in the last 2 years on nightly-paid housing, including B&Bs and hotels. Modular housing is cheaper, better quality, and safer. We are ready to lead on the big issues.
3. Launch our Benefits Boost Campaign to help residents claim the full income-related benefits and social tariffs they’re entitled to. We’ll raise awareness, provide hands-on support, and tackle stigma around claiming vital financial support. Around £76 million of benefits went unclaimed in Merton in 2024.
4. Reimburse overpaid Council Tax proactively by better informing residents when they move home. Merton Council currently holds around £600,000 in overpaid Council Tax.
5. Expand support to help those on the lowest incomes through a range of initiatives, including a scheme to support residents furnishing their homes and modernising the Council Tax Support scheme to ensure those at the ‘cliff-edge’ of benefit eligibility are not overlooked. We will user-test a new webpage so information is clear, accessible, and genuinely useful. We oppose the local Conservatives’ attempts to reintroduce a version of the ‘poll tax’, charging those on the lowest incomes hundreds of pounds in Council Tax.
6. Stand up for leaseholders hit by outrageous service charges from housing associations. Some residents face annual bills £1,200 higher than estimates, and 42% of complaints are still unresolved. We’ll demand fair, transparent charges.