Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Development, Enterprise and Communities attached.

Decision Made (Unanimously):

That:

1. delegated authority be granted to the Revenues+ Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support and Assets to make all necessary updates to this Council’s Council Tax Support Scheme to comply with any prescribed requirements that may be issued by central government. This may be by the making of specific regulations, or by amendment to the Local Government Finance Acts of 1992 and 2012.

2. delegated authority be granted to the Revenues+ Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support and Assets to make all necessary amendments to the Council’s scheme to uprate the allowances and premiums in accordance with the revised Housing Benefit Circular when it is issued by the DWP. This process is a requirement of the prescribed elements of the scheme.

3. the updated scheme be published in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 2012.

4. the level of the deduction to be applied to Working Age recipients of Council Tax Support from 1st April 2018 be finalised and agreed in accordance with South Ribble's scheme and as part of the Council's Budget and Council Tax Setting at the Council Meeting on the 28^th February 2018. This figure will continue to be within the range (between £3.00 and £5.00 per week) which was consulted upon during the introduction and implementation of the council's scheme in 2012.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Development, Enterprise and Communities which provided details of a Council Tax Support Scheme for 2018/19.

During the debate, the Cabinet noted the comments, reasons and suggestions made at the meeting to remove the scheme since it was introduced in 2012 but the view was that there were no proposals for this to change this year. A review would take place to look at alternative options for 2019/20 and if this was approved consultation would be undertaken next year which would allow the Council the time to facilitate the implementation of any revised scheme.

Decision Made (Unanimously):

That:

1.    delegated authority be granted to the Revenues+ Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support and Assets to make all necessary updates to this Council’s Council Tax Support Scheme to comply with any prescribed requirements that may be issued by central government. This may be by the making of specific regulations, or by amendment to the Local Government Finance Acts of 1992 and 2012;

2.    delegated authority be granted to the Revenues+ Manager in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support and Assets to make all necessary amendments to the Council’s scheme to uprate the allowances and premiums in accordance with the revised Housing Benefit Circular when it is issued by the DWP. This process is a requirement of the prescribed elements of the scheme;

3.    the updated scheme be published in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 2012; and

4.    the level of the deduction to be applied to Working Age recipients of Council Tax Support from 1st April 2018 be finalised and agreed in accordance with South Ribble's scheme and as part of the Council's Budget and Council Tax Setting at the Council Meeting on the 28^th February 2018. This figure will continue to be within the range (between £3.00 and £5.00 per week) which was consulted upon during the introduction and implementation of the council's scheme in 2012.

Reasons for Decision:

The Local Government Finance Act 2012 required Local Authorities to approve their Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) Scheme on an annual basis by the 31st January for the following financial year.

The scheme contained allowances and premiums upon which the Prescribed Council Tax Support Scheme relies. Where possible, South Ribble’s scheme mirrors the provisions of the government’s prescribed scheme for pensioners.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The original consultation exercise considered a number of alternatives to reducing the amounts that claimants received in their council tax support. These included reducing council services and increasing levels of council tax.