Agenda item

To consider the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1601 (copy attached), regarding responses to the public consultation and the recommendation to the Council of an amended Scheme for the 2016/17 financial year.

The Cabinet considered the Corporate Director's Report No. CD1601, which set out the outcome of the recent public consultation exercise and the recommendations and comments of the Council’s Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group in respect of potential changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme. Prior to commencing this item, the Cabinet was advised of a request from Cr. A.H. Crawford to address the Cabinet on this issue. However, as Cr. Crawford’s representation had already been distributed to all Cabinet Members for consideration during the item, the Cabinet did not support the request.

Members heard how the Council had developed its own Council Tax Support Scheme, which had run since 1st April, 2013, to replace the previous national Council Tax Benefit Regulations. The Scheme had been well received and had operated successfully but, in light of the Government’s ongoing reform of the welfare system, the Cabinet had agreed, at its meeting on 20th October, 2015, to carry out a public consultation on options to make changes to the Scheme. The public consultation exercise had run for a six week period starting on 9th November, 2015 and had been sent to all 2,565 working age Council Tax Support claimants and a randomly selected 3,000 Council Tax payers. The survey had also been available online throughout the consultation period. A total of 791 completed surveys had been returned, which the Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group had considered to be a good rate of return, considering the complexity of the survey. It was reported that a wide range of views had been expressed and these were set out in Appendix 3 to the Report. A clear view had been expressed that residents did not wish for the Scheme to be funded by either an increase in Council Tax or a reduction in service provision.

The Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group had met six times during 2015 and its work had included considering potential changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme, taking into account the results of the public consultation. The Group recommended five changes to the Scheme, summarised as:

·                     To increase the minimum contribution from 8% to 10%

·                     To remove the Family Premium for new working age claimants

·                     To reduce the amount of savings from £16,000 to £6,000 before claiming Council Tax Support

·                     To limit support at the level applicable for a Band D property, for those living in properties banded higher than Band D

·                     To reduce the limit of backdated claims to four weeks

Furthermore, the Group considered a number of issues that were raised in the consultation that were not being recommended for adoption and these were set out in the Report.

In endorsing the recommendations of the Welfare Reform Working Group in relation to potential changes to the existing Scheme, the Cabinet expressed satisfaction that the Council’s amended Scheme would continue to ensure that residents in Aldershot and Farnborough were treated fairly. In particular, it was noted that the exceptional Hardship Fund would remain in place for those adversely affected by the changes during a period of transition.

The Cabinet

(i)            NOTED the information set out in the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1601 and the work and the recommendations of the Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group in relation to potential changes to the Council’s Council Tax Support Scheme; and

(ii)          RECOMMENDED TO THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE COUNCIL ON 27TH JANUARY, 2016 that the changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme, as set out in the Report, be approved to take effect from the financial year 2016/17.