Councils’ policies on refuse charge waivers ‘a shambles’

LOCAL authorities have been accused of avoiding their social responsibility by failing to introduce waiver schemes in areas where refuse collection has been privatised.

The Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly yesterday described the variety of waiver schemes used by local authorities, combined with the complete absence of such schemes in some council areas, as “a shambles”.

She expressed concern that many low-income householders could be suffering hardship as a result of the growing privatisation of waste collection services. Ms O’Reilly also said she regretted that the mindset of some local authorities regarding refuse collection had undergone “an undesirable change,” where they now appeared to be driven solely by commercial considerations.