Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director - Resources and Governance.

The Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio introduced the report (previously circulated) of the Executive Director - Resources and Governance requesting that consideration be given to the draft Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme (also previously circulated) for 2025/26 prior to approval by Council on 28 November 2024.

The submitted report stated that the previous scheme had become operational on 1 April 2024; Councils were required to set a CTS scheme each year and as part of that exercise were required to consider whether any changes should be made to the existing scheme, and where changes were made, consider what transitional protection, if any, should be applied to anyone affected by those changes; and that no significant changes were proposed to the existing scheme.

It was reported that the scheme had been considered by the Economy and Resources Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held on 31 October 2024, who agreed its onward submission to Cabinet for consideration.

RESOLVED – That draft Council Tax Support Scheme 2025/26, as detailed at Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be endorsed and forwarded to Council for approval.

REASONS – (a)The Council is required to publish a local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2025/26 by 11 March 2025.

(b)The Council Tax Schemes since 2013 have all been implemented successfully without any major challenges.

(c) The continued application of a reduced entitlement for working aged people is still appropriate, given the current financial position of the Council.?????