Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member Finance, Growth and Core Services introduced a report on the Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme 2023/24 and reported on the positive outcome of a public consultation on the proposed introduction of a revised Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for 2023/24.

The Cabinet Member advised that the proposal would reduce the minimum payment applied within the CTS scheme from 25% to 15% of the individual Council Tax bill, as a way of supporting low-income residents during the cost-of-living crisis.  The net effect of such a change would mean that households entitled to the full level of CTS would be over £150 better off under the Council’s revised scheme.

The Cabinet Member also referred to the recent grant allocation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) aimed at providing additional support to low-income households in receipt of CTS with their Council Tax payments. It was noted that the funding would enable the Council to award a rebate of up to £25 to approximately 15,000 low-income households in receipt of CTS in the Borough

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The Assembly resolved to:

(i)  Note that the Cabinet agreed to implement an additional one-off reduction of up to £25.00 for households in receipt of Council Tax Support and to delegate authority to the Director of Support and Collections, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Core Services, to determine and implement a scheme for its delivery in line with the guidance issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities;

(ii)  Agree, in light of the positive response to the public consultation, to adopt Model 2, as detailed in the report, as the CTS Scheme for 2023/24, which would reduce the minimum payment from 25% to 15% of the individual Council Tax bill, as a way of supporting low-income residents during the cost-of-living crisis; and

(iii)  Note that a fundamental review of the CTS scheme shall be undertaken in preparation for the determination of the CTS scheme for 2024/25, with a view to providing a more transparent and simple approach, with predictable levels of support, via a new banded scheme.

Further to Minute 16 (12 July 2022), the Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Core Services reported on the positive outcome of a public consultation on the proposed introduction of a revised Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for 2023/24.

The Cabinet Member advised that the proposal would reduce the minimum payment applied within the CTS scheme from 25% to 15% of the individual Council Tax bill, as a way of supporting low-income residents during the cost-of-living crisis.  The net effect of such a change would mean that households entitled to the full level of CTS would be over £150 better off under the Council’s revised scheme.  In referring to the responses to the consultation, the Cabinet Member acknowledged that several respondents had not supported any enhancement to the scheme as the additional funding would need to be met directly by the Council and would, therefore, impact on all residents, many of whom would not qualify for CTS but were facing their own financial challenges in the current climate.

Cabinet Members spoke in support of the enhanced CTS scheme and reference was made to the Equality Impact Assessment that accompanied the report which exemplified the benefits of the proposal.

The Cabinet Member also referred to the recent grant allocation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) aimed at providing additional support to low-income households in receipt of CTS with their Council Tax payments.  It was noted that the funding would enable the Council to award a rebate of up to £25 to approximately 15,000 low-income households in receipt of CTS in the Borough.  While the Cabinet Member questioned the impact that such a small amount would have on those households struggling to make ends meet during the current cost-of-living crisis, he nonetheless welcomed any assistance from the Government towards the most vulnerable in the community. 

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree to implement an additional one-off reduction of up to £25.00 for households in receipt of Council Tax Support and delegate authority to the Director of Support and Collections, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Core Services, to determine and implement a scheme for its delivery in line with the guidance issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities;

(ii)  Recommend the Assembly to:

(a)  Agree, in light of the positive response to the public consultation, to adopt Model 2, as detailed in the report, as the CTS Scheme for 2023/24, which would reduce the minimum payment from 25% to 15% of the individual Council Tax bill, as a way of supporting low-income residents during the cost-of-living crisis; and

(b)  Note that a fundamental review of the CTS scheme shall be undertaken in preparation for the determination of the CTS scheme for 2024/25, with a view to providing a more transparent and simple approach, with predictable levels of support, via a new banded scheme.