Agenda item

Decision:

RECOMMENDED:     That the draft Council Tax Support scheme for 2023/2024 which went to public consultation be recommended to Council as the final CTS scheme for 2023/2024.

 

Reason for Decision

 

To ensure a CTS scheme for working age people for 2023/2024 is agreed by full Council by 11 March 2023.

Minutes:

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Cabinet considered a report which explained that the council must implement a Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for its working age residents for each financial year.  A draft CTS scheme had to be decided and opened for public consultation, and then must agree a final CTS scheme, taking into account the consultation responses.

 

Since 2017, authority had been delegated to the council Leader, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder and the s151 Officer, to agree the draft CTS scheme. The draft CTS scheme was open for consultation from 1 November 2022 to 12 December 2022.  25 responses were received and were included in this report.

 

The final CTS scheme for 2023/2024 was a continuation of the 2022/2023 CTS scheme, with two minor changes to keep it in line with wider welfare reform changes. 

 

The report addressed Notice of Motion 11/22 proposed by Councillor Jones and seconded by Councillor Ryves: 

 

"This Council recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is adversely affecting many local people, especially people on very low incomes.  This Council additionally notes that it has a very high General Reserve Fund of over £8 million above the recommended level.  This Council further notes to increase the Council Tax Support Scheme to 100% to every eligible Council Taxpayer based on last year's figures will run to less than £30,000 to this Council.  Therefore, this Council approves increasing its Council Tax Support Scheme to 100% to every eligible Council Taxpayer."

 

The report set out that the impact of increasing the CTS Scheme so it covered up to 100% of the council tax bill is shown at 4.3 in the report. 

 

It was noted that making the change would reduce the council’s taxbase by 126.5 band D properties, lowering the total council tax income by £255,000, and our own income by £17,600.  This figure was lower than last year as the maximum weekly council tax that could be paid had increased to 84% this year.

 

This was an ongoing cost which would impact the taxbase in 2023/2024 and future years.

 

Under standing order 34 Councillor Joyce drew attention to the additional cost of the proposal by Councillor Jones for 100% level of support of which only £17,600 would be payable by this authority, with the larger portions payable by the county and police authorities. He encouraged adoption of 100% support.

 

Cabinet debated the report, and drew attention to other areas of support the Borough was offering to families.  It was also noted that the proposal in the report of 84% was broadly in line with the other Norfolk authorities and that an increase to 100% would have much larger budgetary consequences for the County and Police authorities.  Attention was also drawn to the majority of consultees commenting that the level of support was at the right level.

 

RECOMMENDED:     That the draft Council Tax Support scheme for 2023/2024 which went to public consultation be recommended to Council as the final CTS scheme for 2023/2024.

 

Reason for Decision

 

To ensure a CTS scheme for working age people for 2023/2024 is agreed by full Council by 11 March 2023.

Supporting documents: