Issue - meetings

Report FSD16070

Outcomes were presented from the public consultation on Council Tax Support/Reduction (CTS/R)2017/18 with authorisation sought to forward the scheme to Full Council for approval.

For the consultation, Members had previously agreed a minimum Council Tax liability of 25% for working age claimants (as for 2016/17) i.e.that CTS/R continues to be based on 75% of a household’s Council Tax Liability.

The consultation closed on 2nd October 2016 with 960 responses having been received. A summary of responses to each question was appended to Report FSD16070 with a full report of the findings published on the Council’s website http://www.bromley.gov.uk/CouncilTaxSupport. Main findings were also summarised in Report FSD16070.

The Greater London Authority was also consulted with their views provided. Additionally, an impact assessment for Council Tax Support was provided.

Based on 2016/17 Council Tax levels and the current number of households receiving CTS/R, projected expenditure of the scheme for working-age claimants with entitlement to 75% of household Council Tax liability amounted to the following:

A sum of £100k per annum was additionally available for discretionary awards.

For those faced with exceptional circumstances, a hardship fund was available with details on the Council website. To help prevent homelessness, the Council’s housing division was aware of the hardship fund.

A principle was now established that claimants should pay an element towards their Council Tax liability, providing a sense of belonging to the community. There was a fine balance on the level of minimum Council Tax liability and some authorities were levying a 30% liability. It was agreed to keep the level under review for the future but for 2017/18 it was agreed to support the recommendations in Report FSD16070. 

RESOLVED that:

(1)  responses to the public consultation exercise be noted;

(2)  the response from the Greater London Authority to the consultation documents be noted;

(3)  the content of the Impact Assessment be noted; and

(4)  Full Council on 12^th December 2016 be recommended to adopt, for financial year 2017/18, a scheme retaining the calculation of entitlement for working-age claimants at 75% of household Council Tax liability -  the maximum assistance provided to a claimant of working-age thereby being 75% of his/her Council Tax liability.