Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report and explained that since April 2013, councils became responsible for designing their own local council tax support scheme for working age people on low incomes. The Council was required to undertake public consultation on any proposed changes to its scheme which had remained largely unchanged since 2013. Council approval was being sought to consult on proposals for a revised scheme for 2019/20 based on income bands with some changes to how entitlement was calculated was sought.

The period of consultation proposed would run for a 6 week period from 25th July to 7th September 2018. Once the results of the consultation had been analysed a report would be brought to council in October with recommendations for a revised scheme for 2019/20.

Members raised the following comments and responses given :

·         Taper relief-a Member asked if there could be some kind of transition period if it was dropped significantly.

·         Compliance with equality duty-the council should be satisfied that equality was genuinely considered. The Cabinet Member undertook to liaise with officers but highlighted that this was at consultation stage at this point.

·         The cost of working age council tax relief. The Cabinet Member confirmed that the Cheltenham share of council tax was £451k.

·         Consultation over the school holiday period-the Cabinet Member replied that the consultation had been extended into the second week of September. It was available on the council’s website and would be sent to Members electronically in order to make residents aware. The delay in the start to consultation was due to elections and timings associated with meeting the deadlines for council meetings in order to form part of the budget setting process.

·         Universal Credit- the council tax support grant was not included within universal credit as this was deemed to be too administratively complicated.

·         Members highlighted that whilst it appeared to concern only relatively small financial amounts of support they were extremely important to those on low incomes. The Cabinet Member responded by saying it was regrettable this had to be done and that consultation was really important.

·         Members requested that Job Centre Plus be encouraged to make claimants aware of the consultation.

·         Participation levels in council consultations-the Cabinet Member confirmed that there was no benchmark but would consider this point further although this decision was needed for the budget setting process.

RESOLVED (unanimously) THAT

The proposed public consultation in Appendix 2 be undertaken between 23^rd July and 7^th September 2018.