Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets, Councillor Peter Jeffries

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets said that the council is required to set its local council tax support scheme for working-age residents every year, and that as we no longer receive the revenue support grant which funded the scheme, we must fund that share of the scheme’s cost ourselves. In 2019-20 a new scheme was introduced to ensure that our most vulnerable residents, particularly those on low incomes, would continue to receive 100% support at the highest income band tier.  For 2026-27, the scheme set out in the report will again be based on five income bands, with some changes being made to increase the income disregarded in respect of disabled children and to extend the income levels in line with increased welfare benefits. 

He said that all Members will be aware that many residents continue to struggle with ongoing cost of living pressures, with many low-income households spending a large percentage of their income on essentials.  This scheme will provide vital support to approximately 4,300 of our most financially-challenged working-age residents, the cost of which, based on data at October 2025, amounts to just over £4.3m.

Inviting Members to support the recommendations, he drew their attention to the recommendation to delegate authority to adjust  the scheme when changes to national welfare benefit scheme occur, vital to ensure our most vulnerable residents are not disadvantaged. 

He ended by thanking the revenues and benefits team for their hard work.

There were no questions.

In debate, a Member commented that this proposal has his 100% support, with so many vulnerable residents needing support, and said CBC would not be in a position to help them as much as it can without the work of the former Director of Finance, Paul Jones.

Another Member noted that some Reform councils in the north of England were completely withdrawing help of this kind, which will not only lead to additional hardship for their poorest residents, but will ultimately cost those councils more as they try to recover council tax that people are not able to pay.  She said it is incredible that we can provide 100% support, also crediting Paul Jones’s skills in balancing the books, and reminds us how important it is to elect the right people and to stand up for those who need help.

Another Member agreed, saying he was proud of the council for looking after our most deprived and vulnerable residents, ensuring they are not forced to pay council tax they cannot afford.

Summing up, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets confirmed that it would ultimately cost the council more to try and recover money from people who cannot afford to pay council tax, and praised Paul Jones and the current Leader who started this fantastic policy which has held throughout the years of austerity and which he is proud to support.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for working age customers in Appendix 5 and summarised in Appendix 6, for 2026/27 is approved and adopted;

2.    authority is delegated to the Chief Executive, or Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets, to make any necessary adjustments to the income bands to reflect changes to and uprating of welfare benefits, by 27 February 2026.