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  • Issue - meetings

    Council Tax Reduction Scheme

    • Issue Details
    • Issue History
    • Related Decisions
    • Related Meetings
     

     

    Meeting: 26/02/2020 - Council (Item 131)

    131 Reports - Cabinet Meeting 16 January 2020 (00-20-48) pdf icon PDF 121 KB

    To receive and consider reports, minutes and recommendations of the meetings held as follows:

     

    (1)  Cabinet

     

    -       16 January 2020

    -       13  February 2020

     

     

    Additional documents:

    • Community Report 10122019 - council tax reduction scheme, 10/12/2019 Community Policy Development Group, 16/01/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 129 KB
    • Council Tax Reduction Band Scheme EQIA, 10/12/2019 Community Policy Development Group, 16/01/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 109 KB
    • Info Only Council Tax Discounts and Exemptions, 16/01/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 62 KB
    • Cabinet Corporate Plan Report Jan 2020, 16/01/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 98 KB
    • Corporate Plan 2020 - 2024 (v6), item 131 pdf icon PDF 6 MB
    • Minutes , 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 115 KB
    • 20-21 Budget Report GF and HRA 13-02-20 Cabinet, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 112 KB
    • Appendix 1 Budget Gap Position, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 16 KB
    • Appendix 2 PDG Service Unit Movements, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 30 KB
    • Appendix 3 Transfers into Earmarked Reserves, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 417 KB
    • Appendix 4 Transfers from Earmarked Reserves, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 423 KB
    • Appendix 5 HRA combined, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 754 KB
    • 20-21 Capital Programme Report - Cabinet 13-02-20 V2, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 82 KB
    • App 1 Capital Programme 20-21 13-02-20 Cabinet, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 196 KB
    • App 2 Capital MTFP 20-21 to 23-24 13-02-20 Cabinet, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 135 KB
    • 20-21 Capital Strategy - Cover Report, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 54 KB
    • Capital Strategy 2020.2021, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 677 KB
    • Treasury Management 20-21, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 813 KB
    • Policy Framework Report, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 56 KB
    • Policy Framework Appendix 1, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 289 KB
    • FINAL Cabinet Establishment Report 2020, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 272 KB
    • Cabinet Establishment Report 2020 Structure Charts FINAL, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 6 MB
    • FINAL Cabinet Pay Report Feb 20 Summary, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 54 KB
    • FINAL 2020 Pay Policy, 13/02/2020 Cabinet, item 131 pdf icon PDF 164 KB

    Minutes:

     

    The Leader presented the report of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 16 January 2020

     

    1.    Tax Base Calculation (Minute 120)

     

    The Leader MOVED seconded by Councillor A White:

     

    THAT the recommendations of the Cabinet as set out in Minute 120 be ADOPTED.

     

    Upon a vote being taking, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

     

    2.    Corporate Plan  (Minute 122)

     

    The Leader MOVED seconded by Councillor Mrs N Woollatt:

     

    THAT the recommendations of the Cabinet as set out in Minute 122 be ADOPTED.

     

    Councillor R L Stanley MOVED AN AMENDMENT seconded by Councillor R J Chesterton:

     

    Page 69 bullet point 4 within the Homes section to remove the wording “Lobby to see the abolition of the Right to Buy or…..” and replace with the following:  “Lobby for the devolvement of discounting powers to individual local housing authorities”.

     

    Following discussion and upon a vote being taken, the AMENDMENT was declared to have FAILED.

     

    Upon a vote being taking, the original MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

     

     

     


    Meeting: 16/01/2020 - Cabinet (Item 118)

    118 Council Tax Reduction Scheme (1-04-11) pdf icon PDF 129 KB

    Arising from a report of the Group Manager for Revenues and Benefits, the Community Policy Development Group had recommended that:

     

    a)    The Council Tax Reduction (banded) scheme be adopted; and

    b)    The updated Exceptional Hardship Policy (revised) be adopted.

     

     

    Additional documents:

    • Council Tax Reduction Band Scheme EQIA, 10/12/2019 Community Policy Development Group, item 118 pdf icon PDF 109 KB
    • Exceptional Hardship Policy 2020, 10/12/2019 Community Policy Development Group, item 118 pdf icon PDF 190 KB
    • Mid Devon S13A 202021 Draft v1.1, 10/12/2019 Community Policy Development Group, item 118 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

    Minutes:

    Arising from a report of the Group Manager for Revenues and Benefits, the Community Policy Development Group had recommended that:

     

    a)    The Council Tax Reduction (banded) scheme be adopted; and

    b)    The updated Exceptional Hardship Policy (revised) be adopted.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Finance outlined the contents of the report stating that the Council Tax Reduction Scheme also known as Council Tax Support was introduced in April 2013 and had replaced the national Council Tax Benefit Scheme, with a 10% funding reduction he highlighted the different schemes for working age customers and those that received a pension.   He made reference to funding streams, the roll out of universal credit and the hardship scheme available.

     

    Consideration was given to:

     

    ·         The Hardship Policy and how it was made available

    ·         Enforcement responsibilities

     

    RESOLVED that the recommendation from the Policy Development Group be approved.

     

    (Proposed by Cllr A White and seconded by Cllr L D Taylor)

     

    Note:  *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.

     

     


    Meeting: 10/12/2019 - Community Policy Development Group (Item 46)

    46 Council Tax Reduction Scheme (15.29) pdf icon PDF 129 KB

    To receive the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and the updated Exceptional Hardship Policy.

    Additional documents:

    • Council Tax Reduction Band Scheme EQIA, item 46 pdf icon PDF 109 KB
    • Exceptional Hardship Policy 2020, item 46 pdf icon PDF 190 KB
    • Mid Devon S13A 202021 Draft v1.1, item 46 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

    Minutes:

    The Group had before it the *Council Tax Reduction Scheme and the revised *Exceptional Hardship Policy.

     

    The Group Manager for Revenues and Benefits explained that this was a new way of assessing the council tax reduction and was more aligned to council tax instead of benefits. The reduction had always been calculated in line with the benefits that claimants received but was now calculated on household income. He further explained that the changes would see some households lose their council tax reduction but that they could apply for hardship relief.

     

    In response to questions he explained that the hardship policy was an interim measure to transition people onto the new council tax levels and that net income was calculated for the whole household. The policy will be used to help customers bridge the loss of reduction in year one of the new scheme, applications will be required. It should be noted that the policy will be available in subsequent years, however the level of reduction my not be as generous when compared to year one.

     

    He further explained that many of the neighbouring authorities had adopted the same approach and that claimants could now go on line to see if they were eligible.

     

    Members requested details of the other criteria, apart from income, where people could get a reduction.

     

    The Group therefore:

     

    RECOMMENDED to the Cabinet that:

     

    1.    The Council Tax Reduction (banded) scheme be adopted; and

    2.    The updated Exceptional Hardship Policy (revised) be adopted.

     

    (Proposed by Cllr R Evans and seconded by Cllr Mrs C P Daw)

     

    Note: *Council Tax Reduction Scheme and the revised *Exceptional Hardship Policy previously circulated and attached to the minutes.