Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Core Services introduced a report on the local Council Tax Support (CTS) Reduction Scheme for 2019/20.

The Cabinet had considered the report at its meeting on 22 January 2019 and recommended that the fundamentals of the scheme remain unchanged from 2018/19, although some amendments were necessary in order to align with the latest Government welfare reforms, such as Universal Credit.

The Assembly resolved that the Council Tax Support (CTS) Reduction Scheme implemented for 2018/19 be retained for 2019/20, subject to the following minor amendments:

·  Treat Universal Credit Award Notifications as an Intention to Claim CTS providing that a valid claim form for CTS is made within a month of the decision to award Universal Credit;

·  Adopt a shortened claim form for the purposes of claiming CTS when Universal Credit has been awarded;

·  Accept Universal Credit as a “passported” benefit when claiming within a month of a new liability for CTS purposes;

·  Amend the capital threshold for CTS purposes to £10,000 for working age persons to align it with Pension Age capital limits; and

·  Re-introduce backdate on CTS of up to four weeks, subject to good cause to align it with the Housing Benefit scheme. 

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Core Services introduced a report on the local Council Tax Support (CTS) Reduction Scheme for 2019/20.

It was noted that that while the fundamentals of the scheme would be unchanged from 2018/19, some amendments were necessary in order to align with the latest Government welfare reforms, such as Universal Credit.  The Cabinet Member confirmed that the proposed changes were intended to make it easier for local residents to access the range of benefits available to them and reduce the bureaucracy associated with the Universal Credit regime.

The Cabinet resolved to recommend the Assembly to:

(i)  Agree that the CTS Reduction Scheme implemented for 2018/19 be retained for 2019/20, subject to the following minor amendments:

·  Treat Universal Credit Award Notifications as an Intention to Claim CTS providing that a valid claim form for CTS is made within a month of the decision to award Universal Credit.

·  Adopt a shortened claim form for the purposes of claiming CTS when Universal Credit has been awarded.

·  Accept Universal Credit as a “passported” benefit when claiming within a month of a new liability for CTS purposes.

·  Amend the capital threshold for CTS purposes to £10,000 for working age persons to align it with Pension Age capital limits.

·  Re-introduce backdate on CTS of up to four weeks, subject to good cause to align it with the Housing Benefit scheme.