SOCIAL housing provider Bolton at Home has apologised after issuing incorrect information in a door-to-door magazine which told tenants they will have to pay more in council tax from April.

Literature was distributed to hundreds of residents across Bolton warning them that from April 2016, tenants of working age will need to pay at least 12.5 per cent of their council tax — even if they currently qualify for full council tax support.

After being contacted by concerned residents, the social housing group realised it had made an error with the message and that the statement is in fact not true.

Bolton Council is currently considering plans to change the local council tax support scheme — which could see low-earners adversely affected, but any proposed changes are yet to be ratified by the full council and, if they are, will not come in until 2017.

Bolton at Home has since apologised for what it calls a “miscommunication” and said it has now explained the situation to those who had contacted them with concerns.

A spokesman said: “We’re sorry to anyone left concerned or confused by this message. It was a miscommunication based on a consultation about changes that could happen in the future, however nothing has been decided yet.

“We’re committed to helping our customers resolve financial pressures and we offer a free and confidential debt and money service. We’ve made financial gains for our customers of around £2.5 million over the last two years by helping them budget effectively, prioritise debts, prepare for changes to their circumstances and seek financial support they may be entitled to — this was the intention of our article.

He added: “Staff at Bolton at Home and the council were briefed of the mistake quickly and so we’ve explained to the relatively small number of people who responded that there’s no need to do anything and their council tax bill won’t be affected.”

Linda Charnock, who heads up the Bolton against the Bedroom Tax campaign group, said the error will have added to the fears of people who are already struggling financially.

She said: “The magazine went out to hundreds of tenants that would have been affected by this, many of these people are already under financial pressure due to the bedroom tax where they have already had a reduction to their housing benefit of up to 25 per cent.

“Some of these people are already so worried that it is making some of them ill — they don’t need mistakes like this being made.”

She added: “I am disgusted by this mistake and feel that a public apology to their tenants is needed.”

Measures that could be brought in next year which could see low-earning residents forced to pay more in council tax will be debated at next month’s budget meeting of the full council.