Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/WS/19/043

Portfolio Holder: Cllr Sarah Broughton      

Lead Officers: Rachael Mann and Adrian Mills

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (17 December 2019)

The West Suffolk Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2020-2021, as attached at Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/043, be approved, taking into account the proposed changes outlined within the report and the consultation undertaken.

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/043)

The Cabinet considered this report which explained that each year the Council was required to consider whether to review its Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS).  This report advised Cabinet on the conclusion of the 2019 annual review of, and the resultant proposed changes, which had been consulted on, to the LCTRS to take effect from 1 April 2020.

Section 3 of Report No: CAB/WS/19/043 was recommending that a tolerance rule of +/-£15 be introduced into the West Suffolk Council scheme.  This would have the effect of freezing a customer’s assessment when a revised Universal Credit Data Sharing hub (UCDS) notification would otherwise trigger a reassessment.  Changes in a customer’s financial position of more than +/-£15 would be processed as usual, whereas changes within the tolerance level would not be updated, no correspondence issued to the customer and without amendment to Council Tax repayments.

The Cabinet noted that where customer’s circumstances noticeably changed, the tolerance rule would not apply, given the change would be greater than £15 per week.  In these circumstances, the customer’s Council Tax Support would be immediately adjusted to provide extra benefit.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (17 December 2019)

The West Suffolk Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2020-2021, as attached at Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/043, be approved, taking into account the proposed changes outlined within the report and the consultation undertaken.