Decision details
Local council Tax Discount Scheme (Amendment)
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
Technical change and uprating to the scheme
approved by Full Council for implementation in April
2014.
Decision:
That the changes to the Local Council Tax
Support Scheme, as outlined in Appendix A are introduced from the
1st April 2014.
Reasons for the decision:
The Local Council Tax Support Scheme to be
introduced from April 2014 was considered and approved at a meeting
of Full Council on the 11th December 2013. In making that decision
it was accepted that further changes may be required with delegated
authority to make such changes given to the Director of Environment
and Shared Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for
Corporate Services, with the proviso that any changes that would
lead to a change in the level of discount given to eligible
residents should come to the Strategic Leadership and Corporate
Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration prior to
implementation. The nature of the changes are typical of that made
each year and allow for such things as the inflationary increase in
other benefits. They do not principally change the approach which
the council has set out with regards to the administration of the
Local Council Tax Support Scheme. The changes provided within
Appendix A are necessary for the future operation of the scheme and
can be summarised as follows. •Minor amendments to reflect
corrections in the drafting of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme
(Prescribed Requirements) 2012. •Increase personal allowances
and premiums used within the calculation of Council Tax Support to
mirror increases to be implemented by the Department for Work and
Pensions with regard to housing benefit and wider welfare system.
•An increase in the level of the deduction made for
non-dependent adults applied across working age and pensioner
claims, to reflect the increase announced within the Department for
Communities and local Government (DCLG) arrangements. •An
increase in the income bands used within the calculation of
alternative council tax reduction (second adult rebate) across
working age and pensioner claims, to reflect the increase announced
within the DCLG default arrangements. •Technical change to the
treatment of persons from abroad. The Cabinet Member for Corporate
Services has been consulted regarding the proposed changes, along
with the Strategic Leadership and Corporate Services Overview and
Scrutiny Committee. The committee resolved at their meeting on the
4th February that 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.
Alternative options considered:
The scheme could be implemented without the
proposed changes to working age households, however, the changes
are in the main intended to allow for wider inflationary increases
within the benefit system. Without this changes the scheme would
therefore unfairly reduce awards. The council are required to
protect awards for pensioner households and if the inflationary
increases were not made, the council would have to make wider
changes to compensate and achieve a similar outcome. Such an
approach would be administratively complex and provide no
identified benefit.
Wards Affected: (All Wards);
Contact: Stephen McGinnes Stephen McGinnes, Head of Revenues and Benefits Email: stephen.mcginnes@midkent.gov.uk.
Publication date: 13/02/2014
Date of decision: 13/02/2014
Effective from: 21/02/2014
Accompanying Documents: