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Issue - meetings

Council Tax Support Scheme Proposals for 2023/24

 

 

Meeting: 16/11/2022 - Council (Item 49)

49 Council Tax Support Scheme Proposals for 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 317 KB

Purpose

To present the results of the public consultation on proposals for revising the current Council Tax Support scheme with effect from 1 April 2023. 

 

Recommendation

That Council resolves to:

a)    Agree the increase to income bands as detailed within paragraph 2.8 and Annex B of this report from 1 April 2023.

b)    Agree that officers may consider backdating Council Tax Support for a period beyond four weeks, but for no longer than six months, if there are exceptional circumstances.  Exceptional circumstances (or good cause) would apply in situations such as:

(i)            The claimant was seriously ill (physically or mentally)

(ii)        Someone the claimant should have been able to rely on for support did not give the support required (such as the Council, Advice Agency, DWP or a support worker) and therefore the claimant was not aware they were able to claim for Council Tax Support

(iii)       Some external factor that prevented a claim being made (such as imprisoned, detained under the Mental Health Act)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to present the results of the public consultation on proposals for revising the current Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme with effect from 1 April 2023.

 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report and summarised the proposed changes to income bands and eligibility of the benefit and its impact on the Council’s Council Tax income levels.

 

Council noted the additional recommendation to enable Officers to consider backdating Council Tax Support beyond the current four week limit (but no more than six months) in exceptional circumstances.    

 

Council noted that the CTS scheme was still not as widely known as (for instance) the 25% single person discount, and this could lead to potential recipients not realising they would be entitled to receive it.

 

Council noted that residents are able to (and should) apply for CTS if they believe they may be entitled to it, and there would be no negative consequences if it later emerged that they were not entitled.

 

Council noted that the Response to Comment 6 in the report annex: “It is inevitable that there will always be some households that are not eligible for support.  Households could review their own spending to make the necessary changes to reduce their outgoings”. was insensitively worded.

 

RESOLVED Council agreed to increase income bands as detailed within paragraph 2.8 and Annex B of the report from 1 April 2023, and also to enable officers to consider backdating Council Tax Support for a period beyond four weeks, but for no longer than six months, if there were exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances (or good cause) would apply in situations such as

·         The claimant was seriously ill (physically or mentally)

·         Someone the claimant should have been able to rely on for support  did not give the support required (such as the Council, Advice Agency, DWP or a support worker) and therefore the claimant was not aware they were able to claim for Council Tax Support

·         Some external factor that prevented a claim being made (such as imprisoned, detained under the Mental Health Act)

 

Voting Record – For 31, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 3,

Meeting: 07/11/2022 - Cabinet (Item 55)

55 Council Tax Support Scheme pdf icon PDF 316 KB

Purpose

To present the results of the public consultation on proposals for revising the current Council Tax Support scheme with effect from 1 April 2023

 

Recommendation

That Cabinet resolves to:

a)    Recommend to Council to approve the increase to income bands as detailed within paragraph 2.8 and Annex B of this report from 1 April 2023.

Additional documents:

 

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