Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources presented the report on the Local Tax Support Scheme and outlined the proposed changes, 286 residents had responded to the consultation. There had been no increase in the amount of funding received by the authority. There was a hardship scheme available for residents to apply for.

The following amendment to the motion was presented by Cllr Garratt and duly seconded.

That Full Council agree the following:

•   A local scheme that is the same as the existing scheme currently in place for 2020/21 and to bridge the level of funding gap currently estimated at £3.23 million, which will need to be met from reducing other council services.

•   To implement a local scheme that varies certain elements of the existing scheme so that the CTS scheme continues to bring the working age CTS scheme in line with housing benefit and the pensionable age CTS scheme changes proposed by central government.

And agrees that:

•   The Local Council Tax Reduction (Support) Scheme for 2021/2022 be adopted as set out from a combination of changes contained as option two and six of the report and the LCTS scheme policy as set out in Appendix 4 as follows:

(i)     To retain a LCTS scheme for working age council taxpayers that is deemed affordable.

(ii)    To maintain the current maximum support at 70 per cent.

(iii)    To remove the blanket protection given to applicants with certain benefits and other forms of income and to treat these the same as other working age applicants while still ignoring these benefits but allowing for a £50 income disregard from the calculation.

(iv)   To continue to ignore carer’s allowance in the calculation for those looking after a person who is ill or disabled.

(v)    To continue to provide the current level of earnings disregarded of £25.

(vi)   To continue to provide the current non-dependant deduction rate of £2 for each non-dependant in a household.

(vii)   Disregarding the housing element of Universal Credit to bring this in line with housing benefit cases which would treat both in the same way.

(viii)  Continue to provide an exceptional hardship fund that would require individual applications and take into account individual circumstances including the claimant’s income and essential outgoings to assist those that are deemed to be in ‘genuine hardship’ and receive additional assistance based on need.

•     That given the overall additional cost of circa £28,000, the recommendations be referred back to Cabinet to determine if savings of an equivalent sum can be made

Following debate, a vote was taken on the amendment the result of which was that the amendment fell.

Following debate on the substantive motion, a vote was taken and it was:

RESOLVED:

THAT Council agreed to the following:

To implement a local scheme that varies certain elements of the existing scheme so that the CTS scheme continues to bring the working age CTS scheme in line with housing benefit and the pensionable age CTS scheme changes proposed by central government.

And  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35