Issue - meetings

This report provides the Executive with background on York’s current Council Tax Support scheme, details of existing financial support available, the number of CTS customers seeking support and what further steps could be taken to support our most financially vulnerable customers in the short term but also in a sustainable way going forward.  

Resolved:  That the Executive approve:

(i)           Option 3 to put the Council Tax Support Scheme out to a shortened consultation process to fit in with the 31 January 2016 deadline, in advance of the respective budget setting processes. 

(ii)          The following changes to the Council’s calendar of meetings, in order to allow a decision to be taken by Full Council on any changes to the Council Tax Scheme:

·        Executive on17 December 2015 – bring forward to 15 December 2015

·        Full Council on10 December 2015 - move to 17 December 2015

(iii)        The detail of the scheme changes for consultation, to be developed by the Director of Customer & Business Support Services in consultation with the Portfolio Holders.

Reason:     To ensure members are fully informed of the options and implications of decisions made in light of this review of the CTS.

The Executive considered a report which had been prepared in response to their request for a review of York’s Council Tax Support Scheme (CTS) and a recent Council motion. The report set out the background to the current scheme, existing financial support available, the number of CTS customers and further steps that could be undertaken to support financially vulnerable residents.

Members noted that any change to the scheme would require widespread consultation and that any proposed changes would require Full Council approval on or before 31 January preceding the start of the financial year. To meet this requirement would require changes to both the Executive and Full Council dates in December.

Members expressed their support for undertaking a shortened consultation to enable any changes to be agreed prior to the start of the financial year and thanked Officers for their work on the report and examination of other authorities’ schemes.

Consideration was then given the following options in relation to CTS and the York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS):    

Option 1 – Maintain the current cap (70%);

Option 2 – Maintain the current cap and consider consultation on the scheme during 2016 for implementation in 2017/18, with the interim development of a one year scheme for short term relief;

Option 3 – Put the scheme out to a shortened consultation process to fit in with the 31^st January 2016 deadline for implementation in 2016/17;

Option 4 – Any of the above three options together with the development of a cohesive strategy with the council’s partners to implement and promote a sustainable approach to financial support available under YFAS as described in paragraph 24, subject to YFAS funding continuing.

Resolved:  That the Executive approve:

(i)           Option 3 to put the Council Tax Support Scheme out to a shortened consultation process to fit in with the 31 January 2016 deadline, in advance of the respective budget setting processes. ^1.

(ii)          The following changes to the Council’s calendar of meetings, in order to allow a decision to be taken by Full Council on any changes to the Council Tax Scheme:

·        Executive on17 December 2015 – bring forward to 15 December 2015

·        Full Council on10 December 2015 - move to 17 December 2015 ^2.

(iii)        The detail of the scheme changes for consultation, to be developed by the Director of Customer & Business Support Services in consultation with the Portfolio Holders.

Reason:     To ensure members are fully informed of the options and implications of decisions made in light of this review of the CTS.