To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce legislation to give council tax rebates to elderly people living alone. [81271]

Elderly people who live alone, as with other single person households, are already entitled to a 25 per cent. reduction in their council tax. We believe that additional help with council tax bills should be given to people on low incomes through the means tested benefit system. There are already special provisions for pensioners which mean that they are entitled to council tax benefit at higher levels of income than most other people.