Council Tax nonbenefit

I received a letter today. I'm still trying to process all of the details, but from what I can make out it basically means I have to use some of my ESA to pay for council tax.

I am in the ESA support group. With all other benefits and with all other services there is some recognition of this, or the fact I am on higher rate care of DLA. However, now the council tax benefit has been devolved to local councils it seems they dont have to do this.

I have to pay about 20 pounds a month from my benefits starting in a months time to the council. I don't like the short notice of this change, ironically thats one of the qualifying reasons for my ESA support group status.

Apart from that I am shocked. I thought this government was all about protecting sick and disabled people. Well, I am one of those sick and disabled people that this definition has been so narrowly focused on. It can't be denied. I have the benefits to prove it.

The last few pages of the letter clearly state for the purposes of my housing benefit (which I am thankfully still entitled to) there is a set ammount (my ESA) that the law says I have to live on. Not using 20 pounds of that for paying council tax, but that exact ammount. It is the basic level of existance for someone in my situation.

So how can anyone justify making sick and disabled people pay out of the money they recieve from the government to support them in day to day life. The money I recieve might be more than other people, but that is in recognition of the fact that my daily living costs are more.

There is no such thing as a value disability. I can;t make the choice to spend money in other ways, or change my lifestyle to accomodate this change. It is not possible. and that is the point of my benefit.

So, government, local council what on earth are you doing?