Residents are being reminded that they have until Wednesday 20 November 2024 to take part in the consultation on the proposed changes to the council's Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
Council Tax Reduction is financial help towards paying Council Tax. You can claim Council Tax Reduction if you are already claiming other benefits such as Universal Credit. You may also claim it if you are working but on a low income.
The council is proposing to adopt a banded income scheme from 1 April 2025. Please note that no changes will be made in relation to pensioners within the support scheme, the council will continue to support care leavers up to their 25th birthday under the scheme and this is not related to rules around single person discount.
The key benefits of adopting a banded income scheme would include:
- an online application form - this will allow households to apply quickly, and it will be easier to complete
- households will be able to work out their level of support by looking at a simple banding rates table - this removes the complexity of the current scheme
- there would be fewer changes to instalments throughout the year, enabling households to budget better as their instalments would not change as frequently as they do now
- the council may be able to make savings as the scheme will be less time-consuming to administer
These changes also take into consideration factors such as the number of adults residing in the property (other than your partner), savings, self-employed income, number of dependents etc to ensure that the scheme is benefiting those that need it the most.
If you can’t complete the form yourself, you can ask a relative or friend to help you, alternatively you can call 01572 722577 and we can assist you.