Reporting local life since 1854 40p Friday, July 27, 2012 SEN-eO1-S2 [P] [P] Tickets to see Dr Seuss’ The Lorax: See Page 26 WIN CAPTAINS FANTASTIC BACK PAGE Shotton’s case is due in court THE case of Stoke City star Ryan Shotton, who has been charged with assault by beating, was today due to be heard by magistrates. But the Fenton-born player was not expected to attend the hearing as he is currently on a pre-season tour of America. The 23-year-old has been accused of assaulting a man close to the Pink Lounge Bar and Club, in Hanley, in an early morning altercation last month. Bug patient is on critical list A PATIENT being treated for Legionnaires’ Disease was last night in a critical condition in hospital. The patient is among 11 people struck down by the bug in Stoke-on-Trent. See Page 2 £5 MILLION CUT FROM BENEFITS Fears changes will lead to ‘ghettos’ OLYMPIC RINGS SEE PAGE 20 Picture: Steve Bould BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] TENS of thousands of residents face a huge reduction in their benefit payments as they fall victim to Government cuts. The Sentinel has learned Stoke-on-Trent City Council faces a gap of at least £5 million between the total amount cur- rently paid to the city’s 34,000 council tax benefit claimants and the Government funding it will receive next April. It means working-age resid- ents could face a real terms reduction in the benefit of at least 20 per cent because pen- sioners and other groups, which have not yet been identified, are excluded from the cut. Now council leaders must decide whether to cut services and increase council tax for everyone, or force cash- strapped tenants to pay more towards their council tax to meet the shortfall. The Labour-run authority has issued a warning that the reforms will lead to ‘ghettos, poverty and a return to Victorian squalor’. Stoke-on- Trent will be hardest hit by the changes because of its large proportion of benefit claimants. But councils across the region also face 10 per cent reductions in the amount avail- able for council tax benefits. Council tax benefits paid dir- ectly by central Government will be abolished next year and councils will instead be funded to offer discounts on tax bills themselves. It means: ■ Cheshire East Council, which will take on respons- ibility for about 8,500 claimants in the former Crewe and Nantwich and Congleton boroughs, faces a funding shortfall of up to £2.5 million; ■ Newcastle Borough Council, covering about 8,200 claimants, will lose £810,000; ■ Staffordshire Moorlands District Council faces a short- fall of at least £540,000 from the £5.4 million currently paid to about 5,200 claimants. City council deputy leader Paul Shotton, pictured, said: “The Government is passing the buck and shirking its responsibility to the most vulnerable people in society. “We’ve got to find the funds to cover the shortfall on council tax. Do we cut services to cover the £5 million or take it away from the people who receive it? “It’s an appalling abdication of responsibility.” Simon Harris, chief execut- ive of Stoke-on-Trent Citizens Advice Bureau, said: “Unless there is an alternative like jobs for people to go into, we are going to see some of the poorest people in the city becoming even poorer. “We’ll also see the levels of debt rise with more people turning to expensive payday loans to make ends meet.” It is understood that the Gov- ernment currently pays out around £50 million in council tax benefit to city residents. Nationally, the average ten- ant receives £15.78 week in council tax benefit. Residents in Band A prop- erties currently pay the coun- cil £952.47 a year in tax. A spokesman for the Depart- ment for Communities and Local Government said: “Spending on council tax bene- fit has more than doubled since 1997.” What do you think? Email us at [email protected] Council ‘nightmare’: See Page 6 Raid uncovers cannabis haul HUNDREDS of cannabis plants have been uncovered at an empty industrial unit. A tip-off about suspicious activity at Fenton Industrial Estate led officers to the drugs factory. See Page 10 ACCUSED: Stoke City star Ryan Shotton. No wiN, No fee • you keep 100% • it woN’t cost you a peNNy Have you sustained personal injuries as a result of an accident at work? If you’ve been involved in an accident at work in the last three years you may be entitled to compensation. - of - Hanley, Tunstall, Wolstanton and Alsager Kings of the Legal Jungle Speak to your friendly local Personal Injury Specialists today on 01782 607779
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Reporting local life since 1854 40pFriday, July 27, 2012
SEN
-eO1
-S2
[P]
[P]
Ticketsto seeDrSeuss’TheLorax:SeePage 26
WIN
CAPTAINS FANTASTIC
BAC KPAG E
Shotton’s caseis due in courtTHE case of Stoke City starRyan Shotton, who has beencharged with assault bybeating, was today due to beheard by magistrates.
But the Fenton-born playerwas not expected to attend thehearing as he is currently ona pre-season tour of America.
The 23-year-old has beenaccused of assaulting a manclose to the Pink Lounge Barand Club, in Hanley, in anearly morning altercation lastmonth.
Bug patient ison critical listA PATIENT being treated forLe gionnaires’ Disease waslast night in a criticalcondition in hospital.
The patient is among 11people struck down by the bugin Stoke-on-Trent.See Page 2
£5 MILLIONCUT FROMBENEFITS
Fears changes will lead to ‘ghettos’ O LY M P I CR I N GSSEE PAGE 20
Picture:SteveBould
BY ALEX [email protected]
TENS of thousands of re s i d e n t sface a huge reduction in theirbenefit payments as they fallvictim to Government cuts.
The Sentinel has learnedStoke-on-Trent City Councilfaces a gap of at least £5 millionbetween the total amount cur-rently paid to the city’s 34,000council tax benefit claimantsand the Government funding itwill receive next April.
It means working-age resid-ents could face a real termsreduction in the benefit of atleast 20 per cent because pen-sioners and other groups, whichhave not yet been identified, areexcluded from the cut.
Now council leaders mustdecide whether to cut servicesand increase council tax foreveryone, or force cash-strapped tenants to paymore towards theircouncil tax to meetthe shortfall.
The Labour-runauthority has issueda warning that thereforms will lead to‘ghettos, poverty and areturn to Victoriansqualor’.
S t o ke - o n -
Trent will be hardest hit by thechanges because of its largeproportion of benefit claimants.
But councils across theregion also face 10 per centreductions in the amount avail-able for council tax benefits.
Council tax benefits paid dir-ectly by central Governmentwill be abolished next year andcouncils will instead be fundedto offer discounts on tax billsthemselves. It means:■ Cheshire East Council,which will take on respons-ibility for about 8,500claimants in the former Creweand Nantwich and Congletonboroughs, faces a fundingshortfall of up to £2.5 million;■ Newcastle Borough Council,covering about 8,200 claimants,will lose £810,000;■ Staffordshire MoorlandsDistrict Council faces a short-fall of at least £540,000 from the£5.4 million currently paid toabout 5,200 claimants.
City council deputy leaderPaul Shotton, pictured, said:“The Government is passingthe buck and shirking itsresponsibility to the mostvulnerable people in society.
“We ’ve got to find thefunds to cover the
shortfall oncouncil tax. Do
we cut services to cover the £5million or take it away from thepeople who receive it?
“It’s an appalling abdicationof responsibility.”
Simon Harris, chief execut-ive of Stoke-on-Trent CitizensAdvice Bureau, said: “Unlessthere is an alternative like jobsfor people to go into, we aregoing to see some of the poorestpeople in the city becomingeven poorer.
“We ’ll also see the levels ofdebt rise with more peopleturning to expensive paydayloans to make ends meet.”
It is understood that the Gov-ernment currently pays outaround £50 million in counciltax benefit to city residents.
Nationally, the average ten-ant receives £15.78 week incouncil tax benefit.
Residents in Band A prop-erties currently pay the coun-cil £952.47 a year in tax.
A spokesman for the Depart-ment for Communities andLocal Government said:“Spending on council tax bene-fit has more than doubled since1997.”
What do you think? Email usat [email protected]
Council ‘nightmare’: See Page 6
Raid uncoverscannabis haulHUNDREDS of cannabisplants have been uncovered atan empty industrial unit.
A tip-off about suspiciousactivity at Fenton IndustrialEstate led officers to the drugsf actory.See Page 10
ACCUSED:Stoke Citystar RyanShotton.
NowiN,Nofee • youkeep100% • itwoN’tcostyouapeNNy
Have you sustained personal injuriesas a result of an accident atwork?
Ifyou’vebeeninvolved inanaccidentatwork in the lastthreeyearsyoumaybeentitledtocompensation. - of -
Hanley, Tunstall, Wolstanton andAlsager
Kings of the Legal JungleSpeaktoyour friendly localPersonal InjurySpecialists todayon01782607779