Pensioners face jail in council tax protest

A retired vicar and a 73-year-old pensioner face jail next month over their protest against council tax increases.

Alfred Ridley and Sylvia Hardy have received dates for their next court appearance after they were given suspended prison sentences earlier this summer.

Both are supporters of the IsItFair campaign, which was set up two years ago as council tax bills rose by an average of 12.9%.

The campaign is mostly supported by pensioners, who claim the local property tax unfairly hits people on fixed incomes and does not take into account people's ability to pay.

Alfred Ridley, 71, received a 28-day jail term in July, suspended for 28 days, following his refusal to pay his council tax bill in full last year. Magistrates in Towcester, Northamptonshire, ruled at the time that he must pay a one-off lump sum of £687 to avoid prison at the end of the month.

Mr Ridley claims he was told last year by the department of the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, that councils should be setting increases of 2.5%. His council tax bill, however, rose by 8.5% for 2004-05. Mr Ridley's arrears accrued last year when the billing authority, South Northamptonshire district council, refused to accept part payments.

Though he has paid his council tax bill in full since April, following an increase of 3.9%, Mr Ridley is standing firm on his non-payment protest last year.

Admitting he was "anxious" about a prison tem, Mr Ridley said he was resolved not to pay the arrears in protest at the tax, which he condemned as unfair.

"Unless they have changed their minds, I have been committed to 28 days' prison, so I am not expecting a very long time in court," he said. "They keep extending the time when I can pay, and they know the answer: I am not paying."

In Exeter in June, magistrates gave Ms Hardy - who owes £63.71 in council tax from last year, together with £10 costs - a 56-day suspended committal order to pay her dues, which expired two weeks ago.

Having failed to pay up, the former social worker now faces a seven-day jail term when she returns to Exeter magistrates' court on 26 September.

Ms Hardy expects to be committed straight to prison after deciding to pay only a 1.7% increase in council tax, in line with the increase in her occupational pension.

The pensioner's jail term will coincide with the start of the Labour party conference in Brighton, and is likely to attract widespread media coverage.