Issue - meetings

Council considered the recommendations of the Executive in respect of the Council Tax Support Scheme 1919/20. 

Councillor G Williamson moved, and Councillor G McAndrew seconded, a motion that the recommendations now detailed, be approved.  After being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

Council approved the proposals now detailed.

RESOLVED – that there be no changes to the scheme design for East Herts local Council Tax Support scheme for April 2019. 

(see also Minute 221)

The Executive Member for Finance and Support Services submitted a report on the latest available information around the current local Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme at East Herts and whether any changes to the scheme should be considered for 2019/20.   

He referred to the consideration by Overview and Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting held on 17 April 2018, of a potential new scheme for 2019/20 based on income bands.  This aimed to simplify the criteria for customers as well as mitigating the impact of changes in circumstances on workload and council tax collection, resulting from universal credit reassessments.  Members were advised that substantial modelling would need to be carried out to avoid any unintended consequences, as well as enabling full consultation with taxpayers and major preceptors.  Unfortunately the software modelling tool had proved to be insufficiently sophisticated to enable the modelling to be progressed with sufficient confidence in the results.  A new module was due for release in the autumn and it was proposed to recommence modelling again at that time, for consideration for a scheme from 2020.

As such, the Executive Member advised that it would be necessary to continue the existing scheme for 2019/20.  The Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been consulted on this proposal.

Councillor G Williamson moved, and Councillor J Goodeve seconded, a motion that the recommendation now detailed be supported.  After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

The Executive supported the recommendation now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that there be no changes to the scheme design for East Herts local Council Tax Support scheme for April 2019.