Interviews with Steve McGinnes, Head of Revenues and Benefits, Mid Kent Revenues and Benefits Partnership and Gary Hunter, Benefits Manager, Mid Kent Revenues and Benefits Partnership.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Environment and Shared Services regarding changes required to the Local Council Tax Support Scheme approved by Council on 11 December 2013.

The Head of Revenues and Benefits introduced the report informing the Committee that at the Council meeting on 11 December 2013 it was agreed that amendments to the Local Council Tax Support Scheme should be considered by this Committee prior to implementation.

The changes that are required to be made are typical of the uprating that is made to benefit awards each year and do not principally change the approach which the council has set out.

In response to a question, the Head of Revenues and Benefits informed the Committee that the total number of residents in the region that this affected was 10,000, 6,000 of which are of working age.

RESOLVED: That the Director of Environment & Shared Services and the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, be recommended to approve the changes to the Local Council Tax Support Scheme, as outlined at Appendix A to the report of the Director of Environment and Shared Services, be agreed and introduced from 1 April 2014.