Council Tax Support Scheme 2017/18

This consultation has now closed.

Date of consultation: Monday, July 18, 2016 - Friday, August 26, 2016

Consultation summary

What is Council Tax Support?

Council Tax support helps those people who are on low or no income to pay their Council Tax. If you meet the criteria, you receive a contribution towards your Council Tax which is paid directly to your Council Tax account, reducing the amount you have to pay.

Council Tax benefit was abolished in 2013 with the Government reducing the funding available by 10%. We have so far been able to operate the old benefit scheme and absorb the cuts in funding. Changes we have made to empty property discounts has generated additional Council Tax income, plus there has been a reduction in caseload.

The Council Tax Support Scheme is funded from two sources:

90% of the cost of the scheme is paid by Central Government as a grant to Stroud District Council: and
Stroud District Council has to fund the remaining shortfall of 10%

Stroud District Councils share of the funding shortfall is a small proportion of your Council Tax bill. The funding shortfall also affects Gloucestershire County Council and the Police Authority.

The Government has stated that people who have reached state pension age will not be affected by any changes to the Council Tax support scheme.

Approximately 50% of the people in Stroud who receive Council Tax support are of pension age and as such are protected from any changes that can be made. This means that people of working age on low incomes could face a reduction in the help they receive with Council Tax so that benefits for people of pension age can be maintained.

Next Steps

All comments regarding the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2017/18 will be considered and form part of the overriding report to Strategy and Resources Committee in October 2016. The consultation will run from 18 July 2016 to 26 August 2016.

Give us your views

When we developed our scheme for 2016/2017 we stated we would consult on the scheme for 2017/2018. We would welcome your views on how, if we needed to, we could reduce the cost of the scheme.

Please complete the feedback form below.