Rother District Council (RDC) is currently consulting on changes to their Council Tax discount scheme, and it is causing a bit of confusion.
The Council claim that the current Council Tax discount scheme will not work well with the soon to be introduced Universal Credit system. Under Universal Credit, residents in receipt of a Council Tax discount are likely to have multiple changes in their benefit throughout the year.
This means the Council would have to reassess a resident’s entitlement to the discount a number of times, often with no resulting change in the amount of financial support given.
RDC claim that the changes to the discount scheme will create a simpler system and be less expensive for RDC to operate but there will be winners and losers, especially families with three children or more who may have to pay more of their Council Tax bill.
Rye’s representative at RDC, Cllr Lord Ampthill, is leading on the changes and explains: “Changes to national benefits has led us to review how we operate this scheme. Making the proposed changes will not only make it easier for residents to understand and access discounts, it will also reduce the cost of operating the scheme.’’
Cllr Lord Ampthill also recognised that a number of people could be adversely affected by the changes and stressed the importance for local residents to share their views.
RDC has said that the changes will not affect everyone. Local residents in receipt of benefits such as income support, income-related employment and support allowance and income-based Jobseekers Allowance will not be affected.
Pensioners who apply for a Council Tax reduction will also not be affected. But it would seem those most affected will be families in work, but who are on low incomes.
The consultation covers 10 proposed changes including:
• The introduction of income bands to ensure fewer changes to discounts;
• The removal of additional discount for families with more than two children, in line with national benefits;
• Using information given during Universal Credit applications to process Council Tax discounts;
• Allowing students who pay Council Tax to apply for reductions under the scheme;
• Disregarding other adults living in a household when calculating discounts;
• Not counting the first £25 of earning per week for applicants working over 16 hours a week;
• Not including Carer’s Allowance as income when working out discounts;
• Stopping the extension to Council Tax reduction for people who have just come off benefits and into work;
• Working out changes to Council Tax reductions from the date circumstances change;
• Disregarding additional income when calculating discounts for residents who are disabled or have disabled children.
If you want to comment or are likely to be affected by any of the above changes you have until 9am on Monday, September 24 to submit your views. You can do it online at www.rother.gov.uk/CTRS18; pick up a questionnaire from Rye Library and post it to CTRS Consultation, Programme Office & Policy, Town Hall, Bexhill, TN39 3JX; or e-mail your comments direct to consultation@rother.gov.uk
More information on the changes, including the proposed income bands, can be found here.
Image Credits: Rye News library .