Issue - meetings

This report sets out the proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) and asks the Council to approve the CTRS for the 2025 / 2026 financial year.

Background:

This report set out the proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS), which reflected income bands being uprated for Consumer Price Inflation, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report. The Council was asked to approve the changes for the 2025/26 financial year.

The report also referred to the permanent discretionary policy for care leavers which sat outside of the Council tax Reduction scheme and formed a significant part of the Council’s Local Offer to care leavers.

A Diversity Impact Assessment (DIA) had been completed for the proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2025/26 and was attached at Appendix 2 to the report.

The report had been considered by the Cabinet on 11 February 2025, details of which were set out in section 6 of the report.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Maple, supported by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Murray, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Decisions:

a)    The Council noted the decisions of the Cabinet, as set out at section 6 of the report.

b)    The Council agreed to adopt the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) 2025/26, reflecting income bands uprated for CPI, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

c)    The Council noted the impact of the Care Leavers Discretionary Council Tax Policy agreed in February 2023.

Background:

The report presented the Cabinet with proposed changes to the CTR scheme; ultimately to recommend to Council a Council Tax Reduction scheme for the 2025/26 financial year.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix 2 to the report.

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent to enable consideration of the matter at the earliest opportunity given that the final CTRS scheme would be submitted alongside the Budget to the next scheduled Full Council meeting on 27 February 2025.

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.