Issue - meetings

Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme

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    Meeting: 18/02/2019 - Cabinet (Item 55)

    55 Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme pdf icon PDF 356 KB

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    JanetteWilliamson UPDATED - To be used in minutes

    Councillor Janette Williamson (Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources) said:

    “In 2013, the Conservative-led Coalition Government abolished Council Tax Benefit for hundreds of thousands of low-income households across the county. They replaced this support with the Local Council Tax Support Scheme, cutting the funding by 10% at the same time.

     

    “This decision disadvantaged thousands of vulnerable, low-income Wirral families. Since its implementation, Wirral has tried its best to retain protection for these households, giving them the support that has been sadly lacking in national policy.

     

    “I am delighted we have now developed a proposal to help us go further. This report provides a proposal for a new scheme of Council Tax reduction, an investment of more than £800,000 which will see more than 9,000 low income households get a better deal on their Council Tax.

     

    “The proposals in this policy increase the level of support currently provided to thousands of the most financially vulnerable in Wirral by reducing their Council Tax liability, and to simplify the system for many residents including those on Universal Credit, zero hours contracts and irregular and incomes.

     

    “We have always promised to put the most vulnerable first. This proposal is that promise in action”.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Finance and Income Generation introduced a report which outlined the process and content of proposed potential changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme operated by Wirral Council.

     

    The report sought approval in principle for the revised scheme, outlined in Appendix 1 of the report, to allow timely consultation to be carried out.

     

    An Equality Impact Assessment was to be carried out on the proposals for consultation.

     

    The findings of the consultation and the Equality Impact Assessment would inform the final Council Tax Reduction Scheme which would be put to Members to consider no later than September 2019.

     

    The revised scheme, if adopted, would have an implementation date of 1st April 2020.

     

    This was a key decision and affected all wards within the borough.

     

    RESOLVED: That

     

    (1)  Cabinet approves the continuation of the existing Council tax Reduction Scheme for 2019/2020/

     

    (2)  Cabinet is asked to agree for a period of consultation to be carried out on the proposal outlined in Appendix 1 of the report for a new Council Tax Reduction Scheme which potentially would replace the existing scheme from 1st April 2020.

     

    (3)  Agrees to an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) being carried out on the proposals.

     

    (4)  A new Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which would have taken into account the EIA and consultation findings, be put before Members for approval no later than September 2019.