Issue - items at meetings - Council Tax Reduction Review

Report of the Executive Director for Finance & Resources (copy attached).

(1)               That the analysis undertaken on the implementation and operation of the Council Tax Reduction scheme in 2013/14 including the feedback from consultation be noted;

(2)               That the proposed Council Tax Reduction scheme for 2014/15 which is unchanged from 2013/14 be recommended to council for approval;

(3)               That it be noted that the Executive Director Finance & Resources will, prior to 1st April 2014, exercise her delegated powers to increase the appropriate calculative elements of the scheme, to give effect to national changes;

(4)               That the council be recommended to agree that the discretionary element of the scheme budget be set at £100,000 recurrently whilst maintaining one-off resources of £100,000 to top it up if necessary; and

(5)               That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Finance & Resources to continue to commission an independent money advice service for people who claim Council Tax Reduction for 2014/15.

73.1         The Executive Director for Finance & Resources introduced the report which detailed the outcome of the annual review of the council’s local Council Tax Reduction Scheme.  She stated that it was not proposed to make any changes to the existing scheme and the reductions in funding in 2014/15 that the council receives from central government to pay for the local scheme would be absorbed by the council and not passed on to those in receipt of support.

73.2         Councillor Littman thanked the officers for the report and stated that he believed the scheme was working well and thanks to the hard work of officers was paying dividends for the council.  He therefore fully supported the recommendation to retain the current scheme for 2014/15.

73.3         Councillor A. Norman stated that the success of the scheme was the result of the hard work of officers and the results were encouraging at this point in time, although she hoped it would be carefully monitored.

73.4         Councillor Hamilton agreed that the scheme had only been in place for a short period and therefore needed to be monitored to see if it would be successful.

73.5         RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:

(1)         That the analysis undertaken on the implementation and operation of the Council Tax Reduction scheme in 2013/14 including the feedback from consultation be noted;

(2)         That the proposed Council Tax Reduction scheme for 2014/15 which is unchanged from 2013/14 be recommended to council for approval;

(3)         That it be noted that the Executive Director Finance & Resources will, prior to 1st April 2014, exercise her delegated powers to increase the appropriate calculative elements of the scheme, to give effect to national changes;

(4)         That the council be recommended to agree that the discretionary element of the scheme budget be set at £100,000 recurrently whilst maintaining one-off resources of £100,000 to top it up if necessary; and

(5)         That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Finance & Resources to continue to commission an independent money advice service for people who claim Council Tax Reduction for 2014/15.