Struggling residents should be exempt from paying council tax for at least three months because of coronavirus, a councillor has said.

A petition to the new Buckinghamshire Council – which so far has 258 signatures – has been set up by Cllr Khalil Ahmed and fellow campaigners Trevor Snaith and Melanie Smith urging chiefs to put a council tax “holiday” in place.

Cllr Ahmed said residents are having to endure financial hardship “to save the loves of the people we care about, our friends, relatives and neighbours”.

He added that most council services have now been halted as Covid-19 makes going out to work almost impossible – so council tax should also be halted for the duration of the coming months.

He said: “We did not choose this pandemic and governments around the globe are taking measures to deal with it.

“Our own government has announced help for small businesses and people that are in work but cannot work due to coronavirus.

“Many people that are self-employed now face a very difficult dilemma; do they remain at home to keep safe? If so, then how do they pay for everyday things such as food, heating and accommodation?

“The government is trying to address this problem by granting mortgage payment holidays, rental payment holidays and payments for working people but I feel that local councils should be doing more by granting council tax payment holidays.

“Most council services are now halted as a result of containing Covid-19. The government has given a £500 million hardship fund to all councils to help families struggling to pay their council tax but judging by the numbers signing up for Universal Credit this week it is not enough.”

Hundreds of residents have signed the petition already.

One person who signed the petition said: “The week we went on lockdown my council tax went up £30 a month.

“I have never seen an increase so high in the six years I've been paying council tax. I'm on minimum wage. That £30 extra makes a massive difference.”

Responding to the petition, Cllr Martin Tett at Buckinghamshire Council said there is help for those who need it – but added that those who can continue to pay should do so.

He said: “Council tax funds essential local services such as rubbish collection, roads, and fire and police.

“We are working hard to focus efforts on the services our residents most need at this time – such as protecting our vulnerable adults and children, keeping essential services like bin collections running, working with the community to provide help, information and advice, and working with our partners to make sure we are protecting, informing and helping the people of Buckinghamshire stay safe and well.

“As a result of coronavirus the council’s workload has greatly increased and we are incurring substantial additional costs.

“Buckinghamshire Council advice is that customers who can afford to pay their council tax should continue to do so.

“However, the council recognises the impact that Covid-19 is having on its residents and will be supporting its working-age residents who are currently receiving Council Tax Reduction by initially reducing their council tax bill by up to £150.

“In addition, the council also understands that other customers may have difficulty paying, in which case we would urge these residents to let us know so we can work through issues together in a sensible and practical way.

“For example, residents who pay in 10 instalments might prefer to pay in 12 smaller instalments.

“Those that normally have instalment-free months at the end of the financial year might prefer to have the free months earlier, in April and May of this year.”

View the petition online at www.ipetitions.com/petition/buckinghamshire-council-defer-council-tax.

For help, go to:

Aylesbury area: www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/council-tax-reduction-scheme

Chiltern area: www.chiltern.gov.uk/claim

South Bucks area: www.southbucks.gov.uk/article/6809/Housing-Benefit-and-Council-Tax-Support

Wycombe area: www.wycombe.gov.uk/applyforbenefits