Issue - meetings

Recommendation to Council

That Council be recommended to approve;

(i) a Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2017/18 to include a minimum payment of 8.5%, and with the changes proposed to align the new Council Tax Support scheme with changes to Housing Benefit and Universal Credit regulations as follows:

(a) To reduce the length of time someone can be temporarily absent from Great Britain and still receive Council Tax Support from 13 to 4 weeks (some exceptions will apply)

(b) To change the treatment of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) cases affecting new claims made after 1 April 2017

(c) To limit the number of dependent children within the calculation for Council Tax Support to a maximum of two where the third child is born after 1 April 2017 (some exceptions will apply)

(d) To remove entitlement to the Severe Disability Premium where another person is paid Universal Credit (Carers Element) to look after them

(e)To use a set income for self employed earners after one years self employment

(ii) To authorise the Finance Manager in consultation with the Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee to undertake the necessary consultation work to design a scheme for 2018/19, in light of the experience in previous years, to be presented to Policy and Resources Committee in December 2017.

Voting record

For 8

Abstentions 1