Agenda item

To consider the attached joint report of the Director of Finance, Housing and Community and the Director of East Kent Services.

The Director of Finance, Housing and Community presented the report on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2017/18.

It was moved by Councillor M D Conolly, duly seconded and

RESOLVED: That the following revisions to the current Council Tax Reduction Scheme (in respect of working age Council Tax payers) for the financial year 2017/18 be approved:

(a)    That the current minimum contribution towards their Council Tax made by recipients of Council Tax Support be increased from 6.0% to 10.0%.

(b)    That the maximum savings that a council tax payer liable to pay council tax can have and still claim Council Tax Support be reduced from £16,000 to £6,000.

(c)    That a minimum income be used within the calculation for Self-Employed Council Tax payers after 12 months of self-employment.

(d)    That the maximum level of Council Tax support is restricted to the equivalent of a Band D property charge.

(e)    That only the first two children in a family will be included in the calculation for children born after April 2017. (Some exceptions will apply).

(f)     That the Family Premium is not included in the calculation of Council Tax Support for all new working age Council Tax payers.

(g)    That the period for which a late claim can be backdated is reduced to one month.

(h)    That the period for which a Council Tax payer can be absent from Great Britain and still claim Council tax Support be reduced to 4 weeks (with some exclusions for certain occupations).

(i)     That the element of the work related component of Employment and Support Allowance not be included in the Council Tax Support Calculation.

(j)     That DDC works towards making determinations pursuant to section 17A(7) Local Government Finance Act 1992 of classes of cases in which the amount of council tax which a person is liable to pay will be reduced in accordance with section 13 A(1)(c) Local Government Finance Act 1992 from April 2017, in order to provide a safety net for council tax payers experiencing extreme difficulty paying their Council Tax.

(k)    That Members note the Equalities Impact Assessment as detailed in Annex 4.