Issue - meetings

This report informs the Council of proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023/24. Council is asked to consider and approve the proposed CTRS.

Background:

This report provided details of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) 2023 to 2024 and asked the Council to adopt the revised scheme.

The report stated that the cost of the CTRS in 2022/23 had been £13.5million and that should the Council agree the proposal set out in the 2023/24 Draft Budget to increase the Council Tax for Medway by 4.994%, the cost of Medway’s CTRS scheme would increase by an estimated £675,000.

The report set out that the scheme and its operation had been reviewed and that no significant changes were proposed, other than those prescribed in law or changes that were already permissible within the parameters of the currently agreed scheme.

The report had been considered by the Cabinet on 7 February 2023, details of which were set out in section 4 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken on the proposals, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Business Management, Councillor Hackwell, supported by the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services, Councillor Doe, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Decision:

a)    The Council noted the decisions of the Cabinet, as set out at section 4 of the report.

b)    The Council agreed to adopt the Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2023/24, reflecting income bands uprated for CPI, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

Background:

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent to enable consideration of the matter at the earliest opportunity given that the final budget would be submitted to the next scheduled Council meeting on 23 February 2023.

This report informed the Cabinet of proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023/24. It also recommended a continuation of the Council Tax Discretionary Policy for Care Leavers and sought approval for a delegation to allow the implementation of the discretionary element of the newly announced Council Tax Support Fund.

A Diversity Impact Assessment (DIA) had been completed for both the proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023/24 and for the Discretionary Policy for Care Leavers, which were attached at Appendices 3 and 4 to the report.

Reasons:

The scheme continues to balance the need for supporting those currently in receipt of CTRS and the ability of the Council to fund the scheme within the current budgetary constraints. The Council’s Council Tax Discretionary Relief for Care Leavers scheme provides vital support to the most vulnerable care leavers.