Issue - meetings

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Finance

The Assistant Director, Finance introduced the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS) Report and set out the options and objectives for the proposed scheme for the post 2021 Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme which would go out to Consultation in 2020.  The key points of the proposed scheme were reported as follows:

·         to be cost neutral;

·         to deliver administrative savings and simplify the process;

·         to use banded discounts; and

·         to include relevant disregards.

The Head of Benefits outlined to the Committee three different options which had been modelled following which the Committee sought clarification in the following areas:

                      i.        The extent to which the proposed scheme reflected a county wide scheme.  It was reported that whilst principles had been agreed at a county level, individual Council’s schemes would be likely to contain local differences;

                    ii.        Details on where the changes (which bandings) were likely to be affected by the options modelled;

                   iii.        The Committee requested that a cost neutral version of Option 1 be produced to demonstrate how a 100% discount for the lowest income households could work and its impacts.

The Committee thanked the Officers for their work and requested that this item come back to this Committee in 2020 (and agreed to add to the Work Plan accordingly).

(Moved by Councillor M Summers and seconded by Councillor R Bilcliff)

Councillor R Claymore left the meeting.