Cabinet considered the head of finance’s report on a review of the council tax reduction scheme.
Following a change in practices by the Department of Work and Pensions, the report proposed a change to the council’s scheme to require individuals to demonstrate that they had notified the government Department when they had a change in their circumstances.
Cabinet supported the proposed change for recommendation on to Council, noting that this would help protect the council from risk of fraud.
RECOMMENDED to Council:
(a) that for the 2024/25 financial year onwards the council continues to adopt the previous 2023/24 Council Tax Reduction Scheme but with the following amendment:
“Where the council has identified that a taxpayer has failed to notify the Department of Work and Pensions of a relevant change in circumstances, affecting their legacy benefit or Universal Credit, then (where necessary) their entitlement to council tax reduction will be stopped, until that notification has taken place and revised Department of Work and Pensions benefit entitlement known.”
(b) that the above change be incorporated into the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for the oncoming 2024/25 financial year onwards.