Council Tax Benefit Changes Consultation

****Consultation now CLOSED**** 

Some residents of working age on low incomes currently get council tax benefit to help them pay their council tax bill. This could be people who work part time or who are in low paid jobs or who have retired early and are living on small private pensions. It also includes people living on state benefits because they do not have a job or are unable to work because of health problems or disabilities or because they have responsibilities caring for family members.

From April 2013, the Government has announced that council tax benefit in its current form will no longer exist. Instead councils will need to operate a local council tax support scheme. However, the amount of financial grant the Council will receive from the Government to fund such a scheme will be approximately 13.5% less than it currently receives. 

For North Warwickshire Borough Council, this is equivalent to a grant reduction of approximately £650,000 per year, based on current Government projections.  This means that the Council needs to consider how to reduce the level of help it gives to residents on low incomes from next year.

The new Council Tax Support Scheme must be approved by 31st January 2013 and be implemented by 1st April 2013 in time for the new Council Tax year.

The Government have also stated that all current and future pensioner Council Tax Benefit recipients must be fully protected from the changes so the reductions to benefit will only fall on working age people.

In designing the new scheme and taking account of the impact of the reduction of grant receives under the new Council Tax Support scheme, the Council must decide which people of working age should get help to pay their council tax bills and how much this should be.

We are now seeking your views on our proposals as part of the final decision making process by seeking feedback from current Council Tax benefit recipients, non-benefit recipients and organisations who support specific groups within the borough.

This consultation will run from Monday, 20 August 2012 to Sunday, 21 October 2012 (9 weeks).

We look forward to receiving your views and comments.