Issue - meetings

Council Tax Support Scheme 2019/20

Meeting: 10/01/2019 - District Executive (Item 98)

98 Council Tax Support Scheme 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

 

RESOLVED:

That District Executive recommended that Full Council agree:-

 

a.

the introduction of a minimum award value of £0.50 a week in line with Housing Benefit;

 

b.

the introduction of a £5 a week tolerance on income increases and decreases before it affects a Council Tax Support award;

 

c.

that personal allowances and premiums are uprated in line with those for Housing Benefit;

 

d.

that non-dependent deductions are uprated in line with the annual percentage increase in Council Tax;

 

e.

that the non-dependent income bands are increased by the same percentage as those applied to the national Council Tax Support scheme for pensioners;

 

f.

that the hardship scheme budget be set at £30,000 for the 2019/20 financial year;

 

g.

to note the recommendations of the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group attached at Appendix 1;

 

h.

to note the scheme has been amended to reflect changes to the Prescribed Requirements;

 

i.

that the 2019/20 Council Tax Support Scheme at Appendix 2 (to follow) is adopted;

 

j.

to note that the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme has been reflected within the overall Council Tax Base.

Reason:

To request that the District Executive recommend the proposed amendments to the Council Tax Support scheme for the 2019/20 financial year to Full Council for approval.

 

Minutes:

The Lead Specialist (Vulnerable Customers) introduced the report and advised that there were two proposed changes to the 2019/20 scheme: to introduce a minimum weekly award of £0.50, and to introduce a £5.00 per week income change tolerance.  He said the number of customers on Universal Credit was increasing and they tended to have regular changes in income and so potentially had a new Council Tax bill every month.

 

In response to a question, the Lead Specialist (Vulnerable Customers) advised that electronic billing would shortly be introduced, but, there would still be the same number of benefit changes for some customers. 

 

The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee said the report suggested that all of South Somerset was fully in Universal Credit but this had been clarified at their meeting. 

 

At the conclusion of the debate, Members were content to recommend the proposed amendments 2019/20 Council Tax Support Scheme to Council for adoption. 

 

RESOLVED:

That District Executive recommended that Full Council agree:-

 

a.

the introduction of a minimum award value of £0.50 a week in line with Housing Benefit;

 

b.

the introduction of a £5 a week tolerance on income increases and decreases before it affects a Council Tax Support award;

 

c.

that personal allowances and premiums are uprated in line with those for Housing Benefit;

 

d.

that non-dependent deductions are uprated in line with the annual percentage increase in Council Tax;

 

e.

that the non-dependent income bands are increased by the same percentage as those applied to the national Council Tax Support scheme for pensioners;

 

f.

that the hardship scheme budget be set at £30,000 for the 2019/20 financial year;

 

g.

to note the recommendations of the Scrutiny Task and Finish Group attached at Appendix 1;

 

h.

to note the scheme has been amended to reflect changes to the Prescribed Requirements;

 

i.

that the 2019/20 Council Tax Support Scheme at Appendix 2 (to follow) is adopted;

 

j.

to note that the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme has been reflected within the overall Council Tax Base.

Reason:

To request that the District Executive recommend the proposed amendments to the Council Tax Support scheme for the 2019/20 financial year to Full Council for approval.