I find it almost impossible to believe that the full Council of Cornwall yesterday voted that everyone of working age in Cornwall, regardless of their ability to pay must cough up at least 25% of the council tax on their home. This applies to the sick and disabled as well as those who are determined to work despite their wages being so low that they also have to claim benefits to make ends meet.

With the changes to welfare already in the pipeline many of these same people will be much worse off, and how they can be then be expected to find another £250 a year for council tax is beyond me. Yes the Government should have fully funded the switch to council administration of council tax benefit, but we cannot expect the poorest and most vulnerable in Cornwall to make good that short fall. The situation is made worse because of the 59,000 people currently claiming council tax benefit only 29,000 are of working age. Therefore they are expected to make up the entire shortfall, as pensioners are protected, thus far, from the changes.

The proposals were put forward by the Tory administration but it was obvious that almost all Independents had been whipped into line to support them.

I fully expect that if the Tories are re-elected in the General Election of 2015 we shall see the spread of welfare cuts into the older age groups with all benefits being means tested.