Proposed changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme for Reading 2017/18

Overview

What is the Council Tax Support Scheme?

The Council Tax Support Scheme helps people who have a low income, or no income, to pay their Council Tax bills.  Reading’s local Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme began on 1 April 2013, when the Government abolished the national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) Scheme.  

Pensioners are protected under separate legislation, and are not affected by our CTS Scheme, or the proposed changes that are the subject of this.

We are consulting on a number of options which include the following changes:

1.  Limit applicants for Council Tax Support to having a maximum capital limit of £3000 and leaving the minimum contribution at 20%

2. Remove earned income disregards from our scheme and amend the level of non-dependent deductions leaving the minimum contribution at 20%

3. Reduce the maximum level of support for working age customers from 80% to 75%

4.  Limit applicants for Council Tax Support to having a maximum capital limit of £3000 based on a minimum contribution of 25%

5. Remove earned income disregards from our scheme and amend the level of non-dependent deductions based on a minimum contribution of 25%

Who should take part in this consultation?

This consultation is open to everyone who lives, works or studies in Reading and wants to take part.

Why your views matter

If we want to make changes to the CTS Scheme we need to ask you about it first.  We want to hear the views of everyone, whether you receive CTS or not. By completing this survey you will be helping to shape our CTS Scheme from April 2017 and ensuring that we make the best possible use of the money we have available whilst still providing this valuable support to the most vulnerable.

What happens next

We will consider all of the feedback we receive when finalising our CTS Scheme. We can implement more than one option depending on the feedback we receive. The Council will make a final decision on the Scheme before 31st January 2017.