Issue - items at meetings - COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT SCHEME 2024/25

To consider the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme for 2024/25.

The Executive considered a report in respect of the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme for 2023/24.

The Strategic Director (CF) agreed to provide all Members with a Briefing Note to use when advising residents about the Council Tax Support Scheme, including signposting them to the Council’s online tool that they could use to determine eligibility for support under the Scheme.

It was RESOLVED:

1. That the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 24 July 2023 to retain the current Council Tax Support Scheme for April 2024 be approved.

2. That a policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting be held post- Annual Council in May 2024 to determine whether there has been a transition to Universal Credit and a need to adapt the existing Scheme, as set out in Sections 4.4 - 4.5 of the report.

3. That the directive contained in the Social Security Administration Act 1992 be used to disregard, in full, awards of War Widows, War Disablement and Armed Forces Compensation when determining entitlement for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax support.

Reason for Decision: As contained in report.

Other Options considered: As contained in report.

The Executive considered a report in respect of the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme for 2023/24.

In the absence of the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Transformation, the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Housing Development advised that the recommendation in the report was to retain the current 8.5% maximum liability for those on maximum benefit (working aged claimants).

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Housing Development stated that the report also recommended looking at the scheme again early in the next municipal year (2024/25) to see if a more significant proportion of the town’s households had moved to Universal Credit (UC). If so, the scheme may need to be amended in future years.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Housing Development commented that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, at its July 2023 meeting, had supported the proposal to continue with the existing scheme for 2024/25. However, there was a further recommendation in the report that post-Annual Council in May 2024, a policy Overview and Scrutiny meeting be held to determine whether there had been a transition to UC and whether the scheme needed to be updated for future years beyond 2024/25.