The Head of Financial Services submitted a report to Cabinet on 26 January 2022 to consider the feedback from the recent consultation on the proposed changes to the 2022/23 Council Tax Reduction Scheme and to agree the principles of the new scheme to be drawn up for approval by Council.

Councillor Shaista Aziz, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Communities will present the report and propose Cabinet’s recommendations.

Recommendation: Cabinet recommends that Council resolves to adopt the new Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2022/23 taking into account the following:

•   To increase the Income Bands in line with paragraph 8 Table 1 using CPI for the Benefit Cap uprating;

•   To continue to support a 100% CTR entitlement;

•   To continue with a Banded Scheme based on Income rather than family composition;

•   To leave non dependant deductions as they are currently.

Council considered the report of the Head of Financial Services, submitted to Cabinet on 26 January 2022 to consider the feedback from the recent consultation on the proposed changes to the 2022/23 Council Tax Reduction Scheme and to agree the principles of the new scheme for approval by Council.

Cllr Aziz, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Communities, presented the report and moved the recommendations, which were agreed on being seconded, debated and put to the vote.

Council resolved to adopt the new Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2022/23 taking into account the following:

·       To increase the Income Bands in line with paragraph 8 Table 1 using CPI for the Benefit Cap uprating;

·       To continue to support a 100% CTR entitlement;

·       To continue with a Banded Scheme based on Income rather than family composition;

·       To leave non dependant deductions as they are currently.

The Head of Financial Services has submitted a report to consider the feedback from the recent consultation on the proposed changes to the 2022/23 Council Tax Reduction Scheme and to agree the principles of the new scheme to be drawn up for approval by Council.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Note the outcome of the consultation on the proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme; and

2.    Delegate authority to the Head of Financial Services  to draft the details of the new Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2022/23 in accordance with paragraphs 8 to 11 of this report which sets out the proposed implementation and changes to the Scheme; and

3.    Recommend to Council to resolve to adopt the new Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2022/23 taking into account the following:

•   To increase the Income Bands in line with paragraph 8 Table 1 using CPI for the Benefit Cap uprating;

•   To continue to support a 100% CTR entitlement;

•   To continue with a Banded Scheme based on Income rather than family composition;

•   To leave non dependant deductions as they are currently.

The Head of Financial Services had submitted a report enabling Cabinet to consider the feedback from the recent consultation on the proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTR) for 2022/23 and to agree the principles of the new scheme to be drawn up for approval by Council.

Councillor Shaista Aziz, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Communities, reported that the proposal before Cabinet included a recommendation to continue to support a 100% Council Tax Reduction entitlement.  This was an approach which had been managed by only a few local authorities in the country, and was to be welcomed given the inflation pressures, particularly in relation to energy costs, which households were facing.  The response to the consultation had been good, and it was considered that the proposal also addressed concerns which had been raised about keeping the scheme simple to navigate so that those who needed help could easily find it.

Cabinet Members spoke in support of the proposal and commented that it would support those who had been most adversely affected by the pandemic, helping communities to recover and promoting equal participation.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.    Note the outcome of the consultation on the proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme; and

2.    Delegate authority to the Head of Financial Services  to draft the details of the new Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2022/23 in accordance with paragraphs 8 to 11 of this report which sets out the proposed implementation and changes to the Scheme; and

3.    Recommend to Council to resolve to adopt the new Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2022/23 taking into account the following:

•   To increase the Income Bands in line with paragraph 8 Table 1 using CPI for the Benefit Cap uprating;

•   To continue to support a 100% CTR entitlement;

•   To continue with a Banded Scheme based on Income rather than family composition;

•   To leave non dependant deductions as they are currently.