Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a report on a range of options which could be included in a  public consultation on the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2017/18. The outcome of the consultation would help to inform the development of a draft scheme for 2017/18. The report set out the background to the requirement for each Council to design its own Council Tax Support Scheme which replaced Council Tax Benefit in 2013. The Council was under a duty to undertake consultation on proposed changes to the Scheme and this was a pre-requisite of the Scheme being changed.

Members were reminded that with effect from April 2015 support had been capped at 80% of Council Tax liability for all working age claimants. The Council had implemented a Hardship Fund in order to support the most vulnerable and to provide transitional support where there was exceptional hardship as a result of the changes. As at 31st January 2016, a total of £12,141 had been awarded from the fund and 345 customers provided with additional support through the Hardship Assessment Scheme. 

It was noted that the full cost of the administration of the Council Tax Support Scheme were carried by this Council and therefore there was an incentive to lower the costs of administering the Scheme as far as possible. The proposals being put forward for consultation were not intended to reduce the overall cost of support provided to residents but to bring the scheme into line with national changes to welfare support and to reduce the administrative burden wherever possible.

Members considered the areas contained in the proposals for consultation and  raised a number of issues including:

·         the importance of the Scheme remaining “in line” with other benefits such as Universal Credit;

·         the demographics of the customers who had received support to date;

·         the response level in respect of previous consultations and the importance of ensuring there was full consultation;

·         the timetable for the consultation;

·         the importance of “uprating” various allowances that are taken into account in assessing support in line with the Secretary of State’s annual announcement;

·         the issue of Child Maintenance Disregards and the duty to mitigate against child poverty.

Members were mindful of the Council’s Strategic Purposes, particularly in relation to financial inclusion. The Chief Executive referred to potential workshop sessions for Members to help with the understanding of what the data was showing, which together with results of the consultation would help to inform discussion.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the options as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be included in the public consultation in order to inform potential changes to the Council’s Council tax Support Scheme for 2017/18 and/or later years;

(b)       that the Head of Customer Access and Support be authorised to consult on the options set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(c)        that the Head of Customer Access and Support be requested to report back to the Cabinet on the outcome of the consultation and any proposals for changes to the scheme , for further consideration and resolution by the Cabinet, to consult on a draft scheme;

(d)       that further to the outcome of the Cabinet’s decision on the draft regulations, the Head of Customer Access and Financial Support be authorised to carry out the statutory consultation required on the draft scheme; and

(e)       that the final scheme be submitted to Cabinet to make recommendations to Council to allow for the necessary regulations to be published by 31st January 2017.