Consultation to open on the Local Council Tax Support Scheme

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View of West Lindsey

West Lindsey District Council is seeking feedback on the Local Council Tax Support Scheme. Each year councils need to approve a scheme for the following 12 months.

The Local Council Tax Support Scheme, also known as Council Tax Reduction Scheme, is to help people on a low income to pay their Council Tax.

Local Council Tax Support Schemes were introduced from April 2013 when Council Tax Benefit was abolished and replaced by locally agreed schemes.

Customers who have reached state pension age are protected by the prescribed regulations set out by central government and are therefore not affected by any changes made to the local scheme.

After considering the challenges of the cost of living that West Lindsey residents are experiencing at the moment, one option could be to leave the current scheme unchanged to give recipients continuity in their entitlement for a further year.

One change being proposed for the 2024-25 scheme is that the premiums and allowances used in the calculation of entitlement are up-rated in line with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) new figures as at 1 April 2024.

Up rating of premiums and allowances will ensure that the scheme continues to benefit the most vulnerable and low-income households using nationally recognised rates of DWP income rather than continuing with the 2023 rates that are being used in the current scheme.

The consultation is from Thursday 24 August 2023 and runs until 9am on Friday 6 October.

Take part in the consultation.

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