75 Local Council Tax Support Scheme PDF 129 KB
The
Shadow Overview and Scrutiny Committee is asked to comment on the proposal set
out at 4.1 of the report. Committee’s
feedback will be presented for consideration by the Shadow Executive Committee
at its February 2019 meeting.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The
Head of Revenue & Benefits (DCP) presented a report setting proposals for
Local Council Tax Support scheme (LCTS) for Dorset Council.
As part of the LGR discussions with the Ministry of Housing, Communities
and Local Government (MHCLG) it was agreed that the Council would be allowed up
to two years to agree an aligned LCTS scheme. This was in recognition that
significant resources would be utilised to successfully implement the new
Unitary Council and that there may not, initially, be the capacity to support
the creation of an aligned scheme.
However, members were advised that officers were of the view that
there was the capacity within existing resources to create an aligned LCTS
scheme from 1 April 2019. The report considered the benefits of
having an aligned scheme for 2019/20 and the opportunities that this would
bring to help reduce customer confusion and local authority administration. A
consultation exercise had taken place with customers and stakeholders.
In presenting his report and in response to comments
from Councillors outside of the meeting, the Head of Revenue & Benefits
reported the following amendments to his report.
1.
Appendix 2- Existing LCTS schemes (pages 25
and 26 of the agenda) needed to be amended for EDDC and NDDC so that the
section headed “Who is protected under the scheme? Reads:-
Pensioners
Those
receiving:
Disability Premium,
Enhanced Disability Premium, Severe Disability Premium, Carer Premium, Disabled
Child Premium,
The Support Component
within their Employment Support Allowance
Those in receipt of War
Disablement Pension, War Widows Pension or War Widows Disablement Pension
Universal Credit
recipients, who are not pensioners, but the applicant or their partner is in
receipt of an income or premium listed above.
2.
Appendix 3 – LCTS Options (pages 27 and 28 of
the agenda) needed to be amended for Option B so that part was amended to:-
Option B - aligned
scheme with a maximum support for those of working age (not protected) limited
to 90%
Under this option, the
Dorset Council CTS would be aligned as follows:
•
The scheme would be means tested and similar
to the old Council Tax Benefit scheme (where appropriate)
•
Protection would be provided to the following
types of claimant:
§ Pensioners
§ Those
where the applicant (or partner) are receiving:
·
Disability Premium, Enhanced Disability
Premium, Severe Disability Premium, Carer Premium, Disabled Child Premium or
the Support Component within their Employment Support Allowance
·
Disability Living Allowance or Personal
Independence Payment but are not in receipt of one of the premiums mentioned
above
§ Those
in receipt of War Disablement Pension, War Widows Pension or War Widows
Disablement Pension
§ Universal
Credit recipients, who are not pensioners, but the applicant or their partner
is in receipt of an income or premium listed above.
•
The maximum entitlement for protected
claimants would be 100%
•
The maximum entitlement for those claimants
who are not protected would be 90% (based on Council Tax liability)
• The scheme would provide support for those that have a second adult living with ... view the full minutes text for item 75