Sir - The front page Worcester News story (10th July) about the 'surge in number of tax dodgers' and the crocodile tears of our Conservative MP does not give the full picture regarding Council Tax.

The reported 3,500 people who struggled to pay their Council Tax in 13/14, were failing to pay a bill set by the 'old' City Council Tory administration and the Tory County Council.

One reason that more people fell into the trap of 'tax dodgers' will be due to the abolition on 1st April 2013 of Council Tax Benefit by the Tory-led UK government.

This national benefit was replaced by localised 'Council Tax Support' with a deliberate reduction in funding of 10%. Previously, 8,300 people in Worcester received means tested Council Tax Benefit, often due to being in low wage jobs or unemployed.

Now, some of these working age families are being forced to make Council Tax payments that they were not expected to afford before.

Your readers should also be aware that although the Labour City Council administration, with cross party support, voted in February 2014 to raise Council Tax by less than 2 per cent, so did the Conservative County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority.

The increase in our Council Tax bills since 1st April 2014 means, for a Band D household, an extra £20.36p a year must be paid to the County Council while only an extra £3.11p is for the City Council's services (6p a week!).

For the majority of Worcester residents who live in smaller homes the costs will be less.

Who is making Council Tax unaffordable to low income households? Your editorial is correct to say this is a complicated issue.

Lynn Denham

Worcester City Councillor