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Changes to Council Tax Benefit - Consultation

Local Council Tax Support scheme

PLEASE NOTE: The consultation has now closed.

We consulted with the public between the 14th August and 22nd October 2012 . Separate technical consultations covering treatment of the self employed, Parish Councils and the hardship fund are available below.

The main elements of the proposed scheme that we consulted on are outlined below.

The Government requires Council's to protect pensioners so that their claims are calculated on the same basis as now. This means that our proposed scheme will only apply to working age people.

The proposed key changes for working age people are:

• Reducing the in-work taper to 15% for those working more than 24 hours per week, with support assessed on 100% liability and not 80% to help make work pay
• Abolishing non dependant deductions to encourage families to stay together
• Reducing the Capital Limit from £16,000 to £6,000
• Restricting entitlement for Band E properties to that of a Band D council tax charge
• Ending support for residents in Band F, G and H properties
• Asking everyone except the severely disabled and some veterans to pay at least 20%
• Using Child Benefit and Maintenance in the assessment on the same basis it was used in 2008
• Introducing a 13 week protection for those who over the last year have been able to afford their Council Tax but whose circumstances have changed.
• Removing support for claimants under the age of 25.  (except for exceptional hardship cases)

Examples

You can view examples of how individuals will be affected by selecting from the list below:

Examples of how you may be affected

Further Case Studies

The results of the consultation were passed to a Councillor led Working Group on Council Tax support. This detailed analysis was used to finalise the design of our scheme. Please click on the following link to view the Detailed Analysis of the Consultation.

View the published Local Council Tax Support Scheme in full.

Uprating Technical Amendment

Hardship cases 

We appreciate that for some people, it may be difficult to pay Council Tax on top of all the other bills that people are required to pay. From April, we will provide assistance for claimants facing hardship to ensure that they are getting the right level of support. In cases where no further support is available the Council has identified a hardship fund to assist with meeting the Council Tax. 

You will be able to apply for this online after April.

Details of the Discretionary Hardship & Exceptional Hardship Policy

Technical Consultations

Treatment of Self Employed Income - Technical Consultation

Parish Council Funding under LCTS

Useful information and publications

Local Council Tax Support Scheme Equality Impact Assessment

Committee Report on Local Support for Council Tax

Essex County Council Modelling Basis for Calculations

Draft Council Tax Support Scheme - Technical Discussion Paper

Other background information from Central Government

Statement of Intent - this sets out the proposed policy for the key regulations to be provided under the Local Government Finance Bill.

Government Consultation documents on localising support for council tax in England