|
% Agree option
Residents
|
% Agree Option
Stakeholders
|
Comments
|
Recommendation
|
Option
1 -
Reducing the maximum level of support for working age applicants from 87% to
80%
5,500
people
£54,000
MBC
£306,000
Preceptors
£1.14
average impact
|
61%
|
40%
|
Comments
in relation to this option show concern for people on low incomes, suggest
that amount is too high or too low and suggest phasing down the reduction.
|
Implement
|
Option
2
- Removing the Family Premium for all new working age applicants
440
people
£12,000 MBC
£68,000 KCC
£3.49
average impact
|
50%
|
50%
|
Comments
show support for bringing the scheme in line with other benefits however a
concern people with children are being penalised, in particular single
parents and those with larger families struggling financially.
|
Implement
|
Option
3
- Reducing backdating to one month
75
people
£1,000
MBC
£5,000
KCC
£1.45
average impact
|
75%
|
25%
|
Comments
show concern for vulnerable people having the assistance they need, other
comments express surprise that currently claims can be backdated for up to
six months.
|
Implement
– exceptional cases resulting from vulnerability addressed through hardship
scheme.
|
Option
4 -
Using a set income for self-employed earners after one year's self-employment
440
people
£37,500
MBC
£212,500
KCC
£10.90
average impact
|
51%
|
50%
|
Comments
express concern that does not allow new starters time to grow; self-employed
often work longer hours to earn a basic income and national incentives to
encourage entrepreneurship.
|
Implement.
|
Option
5
- Reducing the period for which a person can be absent from Great Britain and
still receive Council Tax Reduction to four weeks
No
data.
|
83%
|
100%
|
Respondents
from BME groups had higher levels of agreement with this option, 86%.
|
Implement
|
Option
6
- Reducing the capital limit from the existing £16,000 to £6,000
50
people
£5,500
MBC
£32,500 KCC
£14.81
average impact
|
60%
|
25%
|
The
comments in relation to this option are generally supportive though some have
suggested that £10,000 would be a more appropriate limit and that this option
discourages savers.
|
Implement
– exceptional cases resulting from vulnerability
addressed through hardship scheme
|
Option
7
– Introducing a standard level of non-dependant deduction of £10 for all
claimants who have non dependants resident with them.
201
people
£11,000 MBC
£63,000 KCC
£4.42
average impact
|
71%
|
100%
|
Respondents
that are disabled and/or receive Council Tax Reduction had the lowest levels
of agreement at 60% and 61% respectively.
The
comments show concern for people who are disabled or in education, while
others see this option as incentivising work.
|
Implement
|
Option
8
– Taking any Child Maintenance paid to a claimant or partner into account in
full in the calculation of Council Tax Reduction
241
people
£24,500 MBC
£139,500
KCC
£13.09
average impact
|
54%
|
50%
|
There are some significant variations
between groupings. Council Tax Reduction recipients have the lowest levels
of agreement at 44%, followed by women and respondents with a disability that
both had agreement levels of 46%.
Comments show concern for single parents
and some state that this money is intended for the children. However, other
comments support all household income being taken into account in the
calculation of benefits.
|
Implement
|
Option
9
- Restricting the maximum level of Council Tax Reduction payable to the
equivalent of a Band D charge
41
people
£3,000
MBC
£18,000 KCC
£9.75
average impact
|
57%
|
25%
|
Council Tax Reduction recipients had the
lowest levels of agreement with this option at 48%; with almost 1 in 5 people
in this group responding ‘Don’t know’ there may be confusion about how this
will work in practice.
|
Implement
|
Option
10
- Removing Second Adult Reduction from the scheme
60
people
£2,000
MBC
£11,000 KCC
£4.08
average impact
|
61.3%
|
100%
|
Respondents with a disability had the
lowest levels of agreement at 49%; there is a 14% difference in levels of
agreement between respondents with a disability and respondents without.
|
Implement
|
Option
11
- Removing the work related activity component in the calculation of Council
Tax Reduction
No
data
|
58%
|
100%
|
Disabled respondents had the lowest levels
of agreement with this option at 43%, and
there is an 18% difference in agreement between this group and respondents
without a disability.
|
Implement
|
Option
12
- Limiting the number of dependent children within the calculation for
Council Tax Reduction to a maximum of two
103
people
£6,500
MBC
£37,500 KCC
£8.23
average impact
|
73%
|
75%
|
Respondents 75 years and over and those
with a disability have slightly lower levels of agreement but the majority of
respondents in these groups are in favour of this option.
|
Implement
|
Option
13
- Introducing a scheme, in addition to Council Tax Reduction, to help
applicants suffering exceptional hardship
|
75%
|
100%
|
The 25 to 34 year old group have the lowest
levels of agreement at 67%. There is a difference of 17% between the age
group with the greatest level of agreement and this group.
|
Implement
|