Arising from a report * of the Director of Finance, Assets and Resources, the Community Policy Development Group had recommended that: the reasons for the proposal, the consultation process and requirement to approve a revised scheme by 31 January 2017 be NOTED and that the following be RECOMMENDED to Council:
|
a) The proposed changes to Council Tax Reduction Scheme from 1 April 2017 as detailed in Appendix 1 subject to an amendment shown in para 4 of this report be approved.
b) The updated Council Tax Reduction Exceptional Hardship Policy (Appendix 4) be approved.
|
The Cabinet Member for Finance outlined the contents of the report stating that the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) also known as Council Tax Support was introduced on 1 April 2013 and replaced Council Tax Benefit, which was
fully funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. The scheme for Working-age customers (those below the age to claim State Pension) was set out in the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Policy. The requirement to have a policy was within S13A and Schedule 1a of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. He informed the meeting that council tax collection rates remained high.
RESOLVED that the reasons for the proposal, the consultation process and requirement to approve a revised scheme by 31 January 2017 be NOTED.
(Proposed by Cllr P H D Hare-Scott and seconded by Cllr Mrs M E Squires)
RECOMMENDED to Council:
a) The proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction scheme as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report subject to an amendment shown in paragraph 4 be approved.
b) The updated Council Tax Reduction Exceptional Hardship Policy (Appendix 4) be approved.
c) Delegated authority be given to the Director of Finance, Assets and Resources to make any minor amendments to the scheme where there appeared to be ambiguity in relation to wording of the scheme and the Council’s intent for the scheme.
d) The requirement to read and consider the Equality Impact Assessment and consider the impact of the proposed changes be noted.
(Proposed by Cllr P H D Hare-Scott and seconded by Cllr M E Squires)
Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.