Decision - Council Tax Support System - Proposed Final Scheme

(1)               That the Overview and Scrutiny report at appendix 1 to the report be noted and that the responses detailed at appendix 2 to the report as amended be approved;

            Recommendation to Council

(2)               To note the Overview and Scrutiny report at appendix 1, its recommendations and the Committee’s responses at appendix 2 as amended;

(3)               To note the information about the government’s October announcement of transition grant at appendix 3;

(4)               To note the feedback from consultation and the responses at appendix 5 and section 4 of the report;

(5)               To note the Equality Impact Assessment at appendix 6;

(6)               To agree that the proposals in the draft scheme published in July be adopted with the amendments necessary to satisfy the criteria for transition grant set out in the October announcement;

(7)               To agree that the full text of the final scheme be based on the government’s default Regulations with suitable amendments to adapt the scheme as a scheme local to Brighton & Hove;

(8)               Accordingly to make the Brighton & Hove City Council (Council Tax) Low Income Discount Scheme 2013 (the main scheme) as set out in Part 1 of appendix 4 and the Brighton & Hove City (Council Tax) Discretionary Scheme 2013 (the discretionary scheme) as set out in Part 2 of appendix 4;

(9)               To authorise Director of Finance to take all appropriate steps to implement and administer the main scheme and the discretionary scheme, including (1) publishing the main scheme in accordance with statutory requirements, (2) applying for any funding for which the Council may be eligible, and (3) responding to any other government initiatives or consultation exercises;

(10)          To authorise the Head of Law to make suitable amendments to the Council’s constitution to reflect the council’s new functions in relation to council tax reduction schemes, in particular (1) to indicate in Part 3 (Council Functions) that only the Full Council can make, revise or replace its main scheme and (2) to replace in the Schemes of Delegation to Committees and Sub-committees and to officers any references to council tax benefit with references to council tax reduction schemes.