Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet recommended to Council that:

1. The current Council Tax Reduction scheme continues from 1 April 2026 with no proposed changes;

2. The current application of Council Tax Premiums continues from 1 April 2026 with no proposed changes;

3. The S13A (1) (C) Policy be approved; and

4. The Discretionary Housing Payments Policy be approved.

KEY DECISION:

Report to Cabinet and Council

PORTFOLIOS:

Finance and Corporate

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED/REJECTED:

As set out in the report.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

None.

DISCUSSION:

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate introduced the report and advised of an update in the recommendations, notifying members that Cabinet were asked to recommend to Council the recommendations contained within the report. He advised that there were no changes from the previous scheme.

The Service Manager - Revenues Benefits and Customer Services provided further detail on the report and stated that there were around 8,000 claimants who received support in paying their Council Tax, roughly totalling £10m a year. The Council had responsibility to determine their own local support schemes for those of working age residents, with support schemes for pension aged claimants set by the Government. There were no proposed changes to the scheme from 1 April 2026.

Council Tax premiums were introduced from 1 April 2025 for properties unoccupied and furnished and for those empty for more than 1 year, with no proposed changes to these premiums. The report further recommended the approval of two policies – the Discretionary Housing Payment Policy which supports households with a shortfall in rent and the Section 13A Policy which supports those with paying Council Tax during hardship. Both policies had been reviewed as part of the Council’s cyclical review, with no changes in legislation and only minor amendments made to the policies.

The Council were awaiting details of the recently announced Crisis Resilience Fund.

A non-Cabinet member raised concern over the supporting of residents during the harmonisation of Universal Credit and how they would be impacted in terms of their Council Tax support. The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate explained that the complexity of the matter meant there was no one-size fits all scheme but reassured members that where the Council had discretion, it would endeavour to support residents where there may be issues.  The Portfolio Holder acknowledged that though the Council would always listen to residents that it was inevitable to satisfy every individual and referred anyone that was dissatisfied to the appeals process and the relevant Ombudsman.

The Service Manager - Revenues Benefits and Customer Services reassured members that the Council’s scheme aligns itself to the Universal Credit scheme and that the Exceptional Hardship Payments scheme is available to support those who still had a shortfall in their Council Tax and where the shortfall is causing hardship.

A non-Cabinet member highlighted that within the District there were pockets of deprivation and sought assurance that NFDC would continue to support residents throughout the handover to the new authority. The Service Manager - Revenues Benefits and Customer Services reassured  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59