Local Council Tax Support Consultation
As part of the major changes to the Welfare Benefits system, from 1st April 2013 Council Tax Benefit will end and is to be replaced by a new scheme called Localised Support for Council Tax or Council Tax Support. Both systems are means tested which means that they compare your income and capital against an assessment of your needs.
The new scheme will largely be decided by each Council rather than nationally by Central Government. The monies available to each Council have been reduced and if you are of working age the amount of help you receive may be less than under the current scheme (Council Tax Benefit).
Central Government has decided to protect pensioners (persons who are of an age where they can claim pension credit) and therefore if you are a pensioner and are currently receiving Council Tax Benefit, then the amount of help you receive under the new Council Tax Support scheme will be broadly the same and operate in a similar way to the current Council Tax Benefit system
To assist certain vulnerable groups, the Council has also decided that there will be additional protection given. More details can be found within the following web pages.
The rules of the Council Tax Support scheme divide the persons who can claim support into various classes. The classes or groups are set by Central Government for pensioners and the classes or groups for working age applicants are set by the Council.
We are asking residents in East Staffordshire to have their say on how support for future Council Tax payments will be provided to residents on low income. On this webpage you will find links to more details on our draft proposals, scenarios of how particular groups will be affected and advice on how you can comment.
Local Council Tax Support ProposalMore information on the proposed scheme including who is and isn't effected, what the draft proposal is and what happens once the consultation is finished.
ScenariosThe Scenarios page runs through a variety of examples which will help you understand the impact of the proposed scheme
How to commentFind out the different ways in which you can comment on the proposed scheme