62 COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT SCHEME 2018/19 AND COUNCIL TAX DISCOUNTS PDF 2 MB
To consider Report No. FIN1801 (copy attached), regarding responses to the public consultation and the recommendation to the Council of an amended Scheme for the 2018/19 financial year and changes to the level of discount allowed for certain empty properties.
Presented By: Councillor Gareth Lyon, Concessions and Community Support Portfolio Holder
Minutes:
The Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group had continued to meet during 2017 and had met most recently in December 2017 to consider the consultation responses. The Group had recommended three changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme and two changes to the level of Council Tax discounts in relation to empty properties, summarised as:
·
To
increase the minimum amount of Council Tax that working age people would pay
from 10% (90% discount) to 15% (85% discount) for 2018/19 and to hold the
minimum contribution at that level for 2019/20
·
To
exclude the new bereavement support payment when calculating Council Tax
support
·
To
limit the number of dependent children to two when calculating Council Tax
support
·
To
award 50% discount for six months for homes that were having major repairs or
structural alterations done to them (currently twelve months)
·
To
award 100% discount for two months for homes that were unoccupied and
unfurnished (currently three months)
In discussing the
recommendations, it was proposed that, to make any increases more affordable,
it would be fairer to phase these over two years as
opposed to one. It was, therefore, proposed that an increase to 12% should be
implemented in 2018/19 and, subject to analysis of the impact of this increase
on recipients, the contribution should be increased to
15% from 2019/20.
Cr. Crawford
expressed opposition to any increase of the minimum contribution from 10% and
requested that the Cabinet should delay any increase until the impact of the
rollout of Universal Credit was known. He also
expressed concern in relation to the content of the consultation document
issued by the Council.
The Cabinet
discussed the proposals and considered that it was appropriate to increase the
level of contribution payable in order to protect other Council Tax payers in
the Borough, especially those on low incomes. Members agreed, however, that the
increase to a contribution of 15% should be phased
over two years, with the impacts of the increases being closely monitored by
the Council.
The Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF ... view the full minutes text for item 62