Issue - meetings

(Cabinet member responsible: Mr D Dodds)

Cabinet, at its meeting on 17 October 2013, will consider a report on a council tax reduction scheme for 2014/15.

The report of the Head of Finance, which Cabinet will consider on 17 October, was circulated to all councillors with the Cabinet agenda. Please bring this report to the meeting.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors on Friday 18 October.

Council considered the Cabinet’s recommendation, made at its meeting on 17 October 2013 on a council tax reduction scheme for 2014/15.

  RESOLVED: to

1.                  adopt the council tax reduction scheme commencing 1 April 2014, until such time as Council wishes to change the scheme, which will be the same scheme as adopted for 2013/14, except for the addition of (b);

2.                  increase by one per cent on 1 April each year, commencing 1 April 2014, the personal allowances and non-dependent deductions for working age claimants.

Purpose: to enable the council to adopt a council tax reduction scheme for financial years commencing 1 April 2014. 

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance that asked Cabinet to recommend Council to adopt a council tax reduction scheme for the financial year 2014/15 and onwards.

Cabinet agreed the recommendations because of the number of benefits that the scheme would bring, as set out in the report.  In particular the proposed scheme would present a very low risk of legal challenge and would protect income for vulnerable families.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to:

(a)   adopt the council tax reduction scheme commencing 1 April 2014, until such time as Council wishes to change the scheme, which will be the same scheme as adopted for 2013/14, except for the addition of recommendation (b);

(b)   increase by one per cent on 1 April each year, commencing 1 April 2014, the personal allowances and non-dependent deductions for working age claimants.

Report of the Head of Finance (attached)

Purpose: to allow the committee to review the proposed council tax reduction scheme that will be adopted for the financial years beginning 2014/15 onwards and make any recommendations to the Cabinet member for Finance.

The committee considered the report of the Head of Finance setting out the proposed council tax reduction scheme to be adopted for the financial years from 2014/15 onwards.

Mr Paul Howden, Revenues and Benefits Manager, Mr William Jacobs, Head of Finance, and Mr David Dodds, Cabinet Member for Finance, introduced the report and answered questions from the committee as follows:

·          The proposed scheme from 2014/15 made minor changes to that operating in 2013/14.  The scheme was predictable, stable and protected the income of vulnerable residents, while giving the council a predictable budget requirement.

·          It was unlikely to be cost-effective to impose small charges on low-income households who would struggle to pay.

·          The number of vacant homes had reduced from 470 to 400 since 1 April 2013.

·          Checks were carried out to confirm the continuing eligibility of council tax benefit claimants.

·          The government had no proposals to uprate the default scheme in line with other benefits, and Cabinet would agree any annual increase.

Members of the committee welcomed the scheme’s reduction of the council tax burden on poorer residents.

The committee noted the report and the proposed council tax reduction scheme.