Agenda and draft minutes
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Contact: Celeste Reyeslao, Scrutiny and Governance Advisor email DemocraticServices@oxford.gov.uk
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Apologies Minutes: None |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: None. |
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Chair's Announcements Minutes: None. |
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Notes of the previous meeting The Panel is asked to agree the notes of the meeting held on 4 December 2024 as a true and accurate record. Minutes: Approved as an accurate record |
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Finance and Performance Panel Work Plan The Panel is asked to consider the Work Plan and agree any amendments. Minutes: The work plan was noted and agreed. |
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Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2025-2026 Cabinet, at its meeting on 5 February 2025, will consider a report from the Head of Financial Services seeking approval for changes to the Council’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2025/2026. Cllr Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, Nigel Kennedy, Head of Financial Services and Laura Bessell, Benefits Manager have been invited to present the report and answer questions. The Panel is asked to consider the report and agree any recommendations. The report will be published as part of a supplementary agenda. Minutes: The Local Tax and Benefits Service Delivery Manager presented the briefing paper to the Panel which outlined the recommendations for the 2025/26 Council Tax Reduction Scheme. The Panel were informed that the recommendations were reviewed through an external consultant who identified an anomaly which had not been accounted for. As such, those on universal credit have been unintentionally receiving preferential treatment, thus creating an inequality within the scheme by ensuring a higher rate of council rate reduction for those receiving Universal Credit. If the bands within the scheme remained the same, the Council would save around £3m through council tax collection, however the recommendation is to alter this which would incur only a £90,000 saving. The change within the recommendation seeks to make the most minimal impact on case load as possible. The Panel is advised that an anomaly has occurred, it has been addressed, and these are the recommendations for solving the problem going forwards. The Head of Financial Services notified the Panel that the report, including these recommendations, will go to Cabinet in February for sign off. Clarity on the implications of both recommendations was given to the Panel and it was explained that to address the anomaly, the scheme must be changed. The Chair outlined his views on both options and agreed that the anomaly should be corrected. In reference to option 2, he noted that it reduces the number of households which are in the band that receives a 100% council tax reduction and increases those in bands 3 and 4. It was then suggested that a uniform rate of 50% was used alongside raising the upper limit of the band receiving 100% in order to achieve a desired revenue target. He noted concern that the option could be criticised for impacting those which receive the full council tax reduction the hardest. In comparison to the existing scheme and option 1, option 2 is somewhat regressive. The Chair sought to clarify whether his suggestion of standardising the bands to 50% and altering the limits of the lowest income band could be feasible. The Local Tax and Benefits Service Delivery Manager confirmed that currently there are 5 bands to work around an issue called ‘cliff edge’. She explained that if there were fewer bands but more scope, then more people would experience a significant change. During the modelling process, grouping was assessed utilising categories of round numbers for public understanding. The Chair noted his understanding but commented that he was anticipating potential criticism. The Chair also asked for those who are paid weekly, if there is a possibility of smoothing out erratic incomes and using a measure of averages. The Local Tax and Benefits Service Delivery Manager confirmed that per current regulations that this would not be possible and explained that there is currently case law awaiting the Court of Appeal regarding the 4-week salary model as people on this are being detrimentally affected. The Panel noted the briefing paper, there were no recommendations.
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Dates of future meetings The Panel is asked to note the dates and times of future meetings of the Finance and Performance Panel: · 07 April 2025, 6pm Meetings will take place remotely via Zoom. Minutes: The Panel noted the dates of future meetings. |
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Matters Exempt or part exempt from publication and exclusion of the public If the Panel wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any aspects of the preceding or following agenda items it will be necessary for the Panel to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 specifying the grounds on which their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in specific paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act if and so long, as in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. (The Access to Information Procedure Rules – Section 15 of the Council’s Constitution – sets out the conditions under which the public can be excluded from meetings of the Council). Minutes: The Committee resolved that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the ‘Budget 2025/2026 – Draft Report of the Budget Review Group’ on the grounds that their presence would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act. |
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Exempt notes of the previous meeting The Panel is asked to agree the exempt notes of the meeting held on 4 December 2024 as a true and accurate record. Minutes: The notes of the previous meeting were approved, subject to a minor amendment. |
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Budget 2025/2026 - Draft Report of the Budget Review Group The Scrutiny and Governance Advisor has drafted a report following the conclusion of the Budget Review Group meeting in December 2024 and January 2025, commissioned by the Scrutiny Committee in September 2024. The final report will be considered at Scrutiny Committee on 29 January 2025, before being presented at Cabinet on 5 February 2025 and Council on 13 February 2025. The Panel is asked to: 1. Approve the draft 2025/2026 Budget Review Group report for submission to the Scrutiny Committee meeting on 29 January 2025 for approval and submission to Cabinet, subject to any necessary amendments. 2. Delegate authority to the Scrutiny and Governance Advisor, in consultation with the Finance and Performance Panel Chair, to implement any agreed amendments to the report and make any necessary minor editorial amendments prior to submission to the Scrutiny Committee. The report will be published as part of a supplementary agenda.
Minutes: The Panel received the draft report of the Budget Review Group, comments were made for the Scrutiny and Governance Advisor to review ahead of publication as part of a supplementary agenda for the Scrutiny Committee on 29 January 2025. |