'˜Income-banded' Council Tax Reduction scheme proposed

Residents in the Arun district have been given the chance to share their views on the proposed changes to the council tax reduction scheme (CTR)
Cllr Trevor Bence, cabinet member for residential servicesCllr Trevor Bence, cabinet member for residential services
Cllr Trevor Bence, cabinet member for residential services

Arun District Council reviews its CTR every year and, after going unchanged since April 2016, it now believes it 'necessary' to update the scheme, with the roll-out of Universal Credit 'upon us'.

A council spokesman said: "To make the scheme easier for customers to understand and to simplify administration, the council is proposing to make it an ‘income-banded’ scheme."

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The council said this will offer 'more support' to lower-income families and give 'increased stability' to people whose wages fluctuate each month.

The spokesman added: "This scheme moves away from the complex means-test that exists in our current council tax reduction scheme. Any agreed changes will happen from April 2019."

Cllr Trevor Bence, cabinet member for residential services, assured that 'none of the proposals will affect pensioners'.

He added: "We believe that what we are proposing will make the scheme easier to understand and to administer alongside Universal Credit.

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"It also aims to reduce the effect that changes in income can have on the council tax that people have to pay."

Residents will be able to share their views on the proposed changes to the CTR scheme via a public consultation which begins tomorrow (October 17) and ends at 5pm on Wednesday, November 14.

The council said it would 'very much like to' hear the views of people who benefit from the scheme as well as those who help to support it through their council tax payments.

The consultation can be completed on the Arun District Council website page where a link to the questionnaire and a document containing background information can be found.