Issue - meetings

1.    To approve the consultation on the proposed changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme from April 2024

2.    To delegate authority to the Head of Revenues & Benefits to:

a.    consult with the major preceptors.

b.    publish a draft CTS scheme

c.   consult with residents

Decision

1.         To approve the consultation on the proposed changes to the Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme.

2.         To delegate authority to the Head of Revenues & Benefits to:

a.         consult with the major preceptors.

b.         publish a draft CTS scheme

c.         consult with residents

Corporate Priorities

Ensuring economic growth and prosperity

Ensuring efficient, effective and modern service delivery.

Statutory Officer Comments:

Monitoring Officer:

As stated in the report, Schedule 1A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 sets out the process for reviewing the Council’s Support Scheme.  The outcome of the consultation will be reported through scrutiny Cabinet and Council for final approval of the scheme in early 2024

Deputy S151 Officer:

Local Government statute sets out that, both a Local Authority’s council tax base and council tax support policy, are reviewed and approved annually. The changes proposed to the council tax support policy will have an impact on the amount of council tax collected by both Dacorum and its precepting partners.

The financial impact of these proposed changes for the council are minor, but could have a significant impact to those residents that benefit from the scheme. The financial costs of this policy change are circa £38k and will feed into the annual review of council tax base and collection that feeds into the MTFS and 2024/25 budget setting process.

Advice

Cllr Symington introduced the report as circulated with the agenda and opened to questions, of which there were none.

Recommendation agreed