Issue - meetings
Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/2025
Meeting: 07/12/2023 - Cabinet (Item 201)
201 Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/2025 
PDF 339 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 2024.
Recommendation
That Cabinet resolves to:
1. Approve the increase in Council Tax Support as detailed in paragraph 3.4 from 1 April 2024.
2. Approve that any surplus in the Hardship Fund is transferred over to 2024/2025 for reasons detailed in paragraphs 3.6 and 3.7.
3. Approve the amendment to the Council Tax Support Policy as recommended in paragraph 3.8.
Additional documents:
- Annex A, item 201
PDF 47 KB
- Annex B - Equality Impact Assessment, item 201
PDF 550 KB
- Webcast for Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/2025
Minutes:
The purpose of the report was to present the results of the public consultation on proposals for revising the current Council Tax Support Scheme with effect from 1 April 2024.
The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Evemy, introduced the report.
It was noted that this was an annual report for to consider the levels of financial support to provide residents with Council Tax payments.
The following points were outlined:
· The focus for the administration since 2019 was to ensure that those on low incomes did not have a low residual liability.
· Those on income band 1 would not be liable for Council Tax.
· It was noted that there was a consultation undertaken with proposed changes around increasing Income Band 1 by 6% due to the cost of living pressures being faced.
· It was highlighted that there were also increases in the maximum entitled relief for bands 4 and 5 to reflect the financial pressures faced.
The Deputy Leader thanked those who participated in the consultation for providing their views and for the support such as the Citizens Advice Bureau for their help in shaping the scheme with council officers.
It was also welcomed that those with more than two children could now apply for support under the changes for the scheme.
The Leader welcomed Mary Cobbett to the meeting as a public speaker to provide comment on the proposed scheme. It was noted that the scheme was welcomed generally, but that it was sometimes misunderstood that Council Tax Discounts were also available such as disability discount.
It was highlighted that there had been increases in demand for the Council Tax Support scheme.
The Deputy Leader in summing up also noted for Cabinet the table for paragraph 3.2 was incorrect in the print copies of the pack as it was from the previous year’s scheme but that the figures were correct in paragraph 3.3. However, this had been updated on the website.
It was also noted that a Hardship Fund was set up for those struggling financially who wouldn’t qualify otherwise, and that the outstanding balance would be carried over as part of recommendation 2.
The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Evemy and seconded by Councillor Bloomer.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet
1. APPROVED the increase in Council Tax Support as detailed in paragraph 3.4 from 1 April 2024.
2. APPROVED that any surplus in the Hardship Fund is transferred over to 2024/2025 for reasons detailed in paragraphs 3.6 and 3.7.
3. APPROVED the amendment to the Council Tax Support Policy as recommended in paragraph 3.8.
Record of Voting – For: 8, Against 0, Abstention 0, Absent: 0
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For |
Against |
Abstain |
Absent/Did not vote |
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Claire Bloomer |
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Joe Harris |
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Juliet Layton |
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Lisa Spivey |
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Mike Evemy |
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Mike McKeown |
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Paul Hodgkinson |
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Tony Dale |
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