Agenda item
Report of the Director of Mid Kent Services - Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2017/2018
- Meeting of Policy and Resources Committee, Wednesday 23rd November, 2016 6.30 pm (Item 125.)
- View the background to item 125.
Decision:
RESOLVED: That having noted the
outcome of the public consultation and considered the potential
impact of the proposed changes on working age claimants with the
protected characteristics of disability, age and sex, under the
Equalities Act (2010), the Council be recommended to approve the
council tax reduction scheme as amended by the Policy and Resources
Committee at its meeting on 23 November 2016 as detailed
below:-
Option 1 – Reducing the maximum level of support for working age applicants from 87% to 80% - Recommendation to Implement
Option 2 – Removing the Family Premium for all new working age applicants – Recommendation to Implement
Option 3 – Reducing backdating to one month – Recommendation to Reject
Option 4 – Using a minimum income (notional income) for self-employed earners after one year’s self-employment – Recommendation to Reject
Option 5 – Reducing the period for which a person can be absent from Great Britain and still receive Council Tax Reduction to four weeks – Recommendation to Implement
Option 6 – Reducing the capital limit from the existing £16,000 to £6,000 – Recommendation to Reject
Option 7 – Introducing a standard level of non-dependant deduction of £10 for all claimants who have non-dependants resident with them – Recommendation to Reject
Option 8 – Taking any Child Maintenance paid to a claimant or partner into account in full in the calculation of Council Tax Reduction – Recommendation to Reject
Option 9 – Restricting the maximum level of Council Tax Reduction payable to the equivalent of a Band D charge – Recommendation to Reject
Option
10 – Removing Second Adult Reduction from the Scheme
– Recommendation to
Reject
Option 11 – Removing the work related activity component in the calculation of Council Tax Reduction – Recommendation to Implement
Option 12 – Limiting the number of dependent children within the calculation for Council Tax Reduction to a maximum of two – Recommendation to Implement
Option 13 – Introducing a scheme, in addition to Council Tax Reduction, to help applicants suffering exceptional hardship – Recommendation to Implement
Minutes:
The Committee considered the report of the Director of Mid Kent Services on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2017/18.
Members were reminded that the decision on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme had been deferred from the meeting held in October to enable more detailed information to be provided in order that Members could consider the financial impact of the different options, the cumulative impact of changes, possible changes to the recommendations following further analysis of the impact and any unintended impact in relation to homelessness. Finally the report provided a comparison with other boroughs in Kent.
Councillor McLoughlin proposed and Councillor Harvey seconded that Option 12 – Limiting the number of dependent children within the calculation for Council Tax Reduction to a maximum of two be deferred for ten months. This would allow time for parents to be made aware of this change as it could have a significant impact if it was brought in with effect from 1st April 2017.
Voting: For: 6 Against: 7 Abstentions: 1
Motion Lost.
RESOLVED: That having noted the
outcome of the public consultation and considered the potential
impact of the proposed changes on working age claimants with the
protected characteristics of disability, age and sex, under the
Equalities Act (2010), the Council be recommended to approve the
council tax reduction scheme as amended by the Policy and Resources
Committee at its meeting on 23 November 2016 as detailed
below:-
Option 1 – Reducing the maximum level of support for working age applicants from 87% to 80% - Recommendation to Implement
Option 2 – Removing the Family Premium for all new working age applicants – Recommendation to Implement
Option 3 – Reducing backdating to one month – Recommendation to Reject
Option 4 – Using a minimum income (notional income) for self-employed earners after one year’s self-employment – Recommendation to Reject
Option 5 – Reducing the period for which a person can be absent from Great Britain and still receive Council Tax Reduction to four weeks – Recommendation to Implement
Option 6 – Reducing the capital limit from the existing £16,000 to £6,000 – Recommendation to Reject
Option 7 – Introducing a standard level of non-dependant deduction of £10 for all claimants who have non-dependants resident with them – Recommendation to Reject
Option 8 – Taking any Child Maintenance paid to a claimant or partner into account in full in the calculation of Council Tax Reduction – Recommendation to Reject
Option 9 – Restricting the maximum level of Council Tax Reduction payable to the equivalent of a Band D charge – Recommendation to Reject
Option
10 – Removing Second Adult Reduction from the Scheme
– Recommendation to
Reject
Option 11 – Removing the work related activity component in the calculation of Council Tax Reduction – Recommendation to Implement
Option 12 – Limiting the number of dependent children within the calculation for Council Tax Reduction to a maximum of two – Recommendation to Implement
Option 13 – Introducing a scheme, in addition to Council Tax Reduction, to help applicants suffering exceptional hardship – Recommendation to Implement
Voting: For: 13 Against: 0 Abstentions: 1
Supporting documents:
- CouncilTaxReport, item 125. PDF 150 KB View as HTML (125./1) 116 KB
- CouncilTaxAppendixA, item 125. PDF 87 KB View as HTML (125./2) 327 KB
- AppendixBconsultationoutputMBC, item 125. PDF 818 KB View as HTML (125./3) 320 KB
- AppendixCEQIAmbc, item 125. PDF 117 KB View as HTML (125./4) 159 KB
- AppendixEkentcomparisons, item 125. PDF 51 KB View as HTML (125./5) 10 KB