25 Aug #Harlow: The cost of Council Tax Support – tell us what you think
Harlow Council is asking all residents to have their say on how the Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme is funded.
The scheme provides help to low-income households with their Council Tax bill and provides help to around 8,400 households. Around 5,000 of these are working-age households.
The LCTS scheme costs just over £6 million pounds annually. Continued reductions in Government funding for this scheme, in line with other central funding cuts and increasing financial pressures on councils, may mean that the Council has to reduce the amount of support given. Pensioners are not affected by reductions meaning any changes would only affect working-age residents.
Decisions about how to fund the LCTS scheme include varying the maximum level of help given under the scheme, as well as considering alternative funding options such as reducing the spending on other services, or increasing the Council Tax overall.
The public consultation runs for six weeks from today (25 August 2016) until 5 October 2016 and is open to everyone in Harlow, including local support organisations. The scheme will be reviewed and agreed at a full Council meeting in December 2016.
More information about the scheme and a link to the online consultation can be found at: www.harlow.gov.uk/lcts-consultation
Paper copies will be available from the Revenues & Benefits Service via Reception at the Civic Centre.
