Issue - meetings

COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION SCHEME 2021-22

 

 

Meeting: 13/01/2021 - County Council (Item 5)

5 COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION SCHEME 2021-22 pdf icon PDF 586 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered a report on the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2021/22 and was advised that in 2013, the Westminster Government replaced the national Council Tax Benefit Scheme with a localised scheme. It was reported that following that change, the Welsh Government had introduced in 2013/14 a standard scheme and (with minor amendments) in subsequent years a uniform all-Wales scheme, albeit with limited areas of local discretion available to local authorities as detailed in the report. Although the scheme had been established on an all-Wales Basis, each Welsh local authority was required by Prescribed Requirements Regulations to formally adopt a Council Tax Reduction Scheme by 31st January each year.

 

Since the scheme’s introduction, Carmarthenshire had, in common with most Welsh Authorities, used its discretionary powers and fully disregarded any Disablement Pensions, War Widows Pensions and similar payments when calculating entitlement. It was highlighted that by accepting the recommendations contained in the report, Carmarthenshire would continue to disregard those payments.

 

RESOLVED that for 2021/22 the Council:

 

5.1

Formally adopts the standard all-Wales Council Tax Reduction Scheme provided for in the Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Prescribed Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2013;

 

5.2

Implements the annual up-rating figures (used in entitlement calculations) and other technical amendments included in the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements and Default Scheme) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021, due to come into effect in January 2021 and these regulations apply in relation to a Council Tax Reduction Scheme made for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2021;

 

5.3

Continues to exercise its discretion with regard to the limited discretionary elements of the prescribed scheme as outline in the report’s Executive Summary.