We are asking for your views on our proposed Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for 2021/22.
Each year the Council has to decide whether to change the local Council Tax Support scheme for working age applicants in the area.
Pensioners are not affected by changes made to the local scheme as the rules for applicants of pension age continues to be set by Central Government. Pensioners can continue to get up to 100% discount on their Council Tax.
South Holland’s scheme for working age applicants is based broadly on the following principles:
It protects those of pension age and working age who are in receipt of war pensions.
It is means-tested and allows for vulnerability within the calculation.
The maximum support available to working age applicants is 70%, meaning that all working age households have to pay at least 30% towards their council tax.
The overall cost of the scheme currently is around £4.3 million, and we pay Council Tax Support to around 2,380 working age households.
We are proposing to keep the main characteristics of our Council Tax Support scheme the same for 2021/22 as it is in 2020/21, whilst also:
Uprating and harmonising our scheme for working age claimants in- line with the DWP provisions for Housing Benefit. This will apply to all CTS claimants and will keep the local Council Tax Support scheme aligned with national welfare provisions
Extending the backdating provisions for working age claimants from one month to three months.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, we are helping more residents this year with Council Tax Support, and therefore the cost of the scheme is increasing. We feel that retaining the main characteristics of the current scheme will provide consistency for claimants at a time they might be facing other personal and financial changes and challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
We would welcome your views as part of this consultation by answering the following questions…
