Issue - meetings

Discretionary Council Tax Relief

Meeting: 08/03/2022 - Cabinet (Item 6)

6 Council Tax Discretionary Relief PDF 113 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Background:

This report asked the Cabinet to agree an extension of the implementation of the care leaver policy for Council Tax for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. It also requested approval of the Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy.

The report explained that in March 2021, the Cabinet had agreed a discretionary Council Tax relief policy to empower and encourage the care leaver to apply for appropriate reductions, such as council tax reduction, single person discount or disregards. The Council would subsequently reduce the liability to nil in most cases after the statutory reductions were made.

The report also advised that since 2013, the Council had operated a scheme to assist those in financial need with their Council Tax. This was commonly known as the Council Tax Discretionary Relief scheme.

Diversity Impact Assessments (DIAs) had been completed in relation to both Discretionary Council Tax Relief for Care Leavers and the Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy. These were set out at Appendices 2 and 4 to the report respectively.

Decision number:	Decision:
39/2022	The Cabinet approved the extension of the implementation of the Care Leavers Policy for Council Tax in Appendix 1 for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

	The Cabinet noted that having been agreed, the policy would be reviewed annually, and any proposed changes referred to Cabinet for consideration.
40/2022	The Cabinet approved the Council Tax discretionary relief policy in Appendix 3.

Reasons:

As the corporate parent to care leavers, Medway Council has the responsibility to provide financial support and guidance. The scheme is working well to support care leavers to not only Medway care leavers, other care leavers too.

The Council Tax Discretionary policy has been updated as it was last reviewed in 2015.