Pictured: The Reverend Paul Nicholson who has refused to pay his council tax to protest economic inequality.
SHARE:
The 85 year old Haringey resident has incurred substantial fees owing to non-payment of council tax dating back to 2013.
Rev. Paul Nicholson is refusing to pay as a ‘matter of principle’, and is hoping his plight will draw attention to those that are not in a financial position to pay it.
Nicolson stopped paying council tax after centrally administered council tax benefit was ended in April 2013.
Until then, millions of people on low incomes paid no council tax, but this benefit was stopped as part of a series of welfare cost savings.
Speaking yesterday from his Tottenham home in North London, Nicolson spoke of the force taken against people that do not pay:
Warning letters are sent from bailiffs (which add £75 to their bills)
£102 for a court summons
£235 if the bailiffs visit
All of of the above must be paid out of benefits payments that stand, typically, at £73.10 a week.
‘I’m not going to pay it, I’ll go to prison’
In his work for charity “Taxpayers Against Poverty”, Nicolson has highlighted that many across London are living below the minimum weekly income standard set by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. In particular Nicolson stresses the pressures facing residents of Northumberland Park, Haringey’s poorest estate.
‘It matters when you have a three month sanction, debts pile up, if you’re on universal credit, there’s no no money for first month, or indeed zero hour contracts – these three things can happen to one person – and their ability to pay council tax becomes zero’, Nicolson propounds.
A fierce defendant of human rights, Rev. Nicolson is not willing to give up easily.
‘No, I’m not going to pay it, I’ll go to prison, and I’ll go, giving the reasons’.
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineHaringey Resident protests by refusing to pay council tax
Short HeadlineReverend Refuses to Pay Council Tax
Standfirst
The 85 year old Haringey resident has incurred substantial fees owing to non-payment of council tax dating back to 2013.
Rev. Paul Nicholson is refusing to pay as a ‘matter of principle’, and is hoping his plight will draw attention to those that are not in a financial position to pay it.
Nicolson stopped paying council tax after centrally administered council tax benefit was ended in April 2013.
Until then, millions of people on low incomes paid no council tax, but this benefit was stopped as part of a series of welfare cost savings.
Speaking yesterday from his Tottenham home in North London, Nicolson spoke of the force taken against people that do not pay:
Warning letters are sent from bailiffs (which add £75 to their bills)
£102 for a court summons
£235 if the bailiffs visit
All of of the above must be paid out of benefits payments that stand, typically, at £73.10 a week.
‘I’m not going to pay it, I’ll go to prison’
In his work for charity “Taxpayers Against Poverty”, Nicolson has highlighted that many across London are living below the minimum weekly income standard set by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. In particular Nicolson stresses the pressures facing residents of Northumberland Park, Haringey’s poorest estate.
‘It matters when you have a three month sanction, debts pile up, if you’re on universal credit, there’s no no money for first month, or indeed zero hour contracts – these three things can happen to one person – and their ability to pay council tax becomes zero’, Nicolson propounds.
A fierce defendant of human rights, Rev. Nicolson is not willing to give up easily.
‘No, I’m not going to pay it, I’ll go to prison, and I’ll go, giving the reasons’.
A 2024 Freedom of Information request showed Bromley Council had £4.5 million invested in arms companies that year with £1.5 million reportedly linked to Israel.
Undercover officers raided three linked shops in Barking town centre, revealing how illicit tobacco is being hidden in walls, ceilings and nearby locations to evade detection.
More than 330,000 people across the UK sought support from the Stop It Now helpline in 2025 over concerns about their own or someone else’s online sexual behaviour towards children, according to new charity data. The anonymous service says contacts by phone, email and webchat rose significantly over the year.
