Onchan commissioner Rob Callister says he will be asking his board to 'protest in the strongest terms' about a five per cent rent increase in local authority housing from April next year.

Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle made the announcement today (see our MTTV interview). Mr Callister says he is disappointed that the minister 'simply ignored' the views of local authorities and tenants.

He said: 'I see no reason why the department should apply additional 5 per cent from April 2015, which is on top of the 27 per cent to 32 per cent already applied since April 2012 for Onchan tenants.

'This is without any form of means testing, ability to pay or taking into account the additional costs already being transferred onto local authorities. By April 2015, well over ?3 million would have been transferred from Government onto local authorities, and therefore many local authorities' rates will also increase next year.'

Mr Callister said he questioned the purpose of consultation with local authorities if the government was simply going to ignore their views and added: 'Many local authority tenants on a low and a fixed income are now going to struggle even more when the 5 per cent rent increase and any additional costs are applied from April 2015.'


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