Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Management introduced a report to provide information on a Welsh Government (WG) consultation seeking views on the review of options for the future of Council Tax support in Wales.  The report also provided recommended responses, drafted by Officers, on the proposals.   The deadline for responses to the consultation was 5 March 2014. 

            The Cabinet Member provided background information and referred to the increasing financial pressure on the WG and local authorities which would be difficult to sustain.  He advised that WG was reviewing the options for the future of Council Tax Support (CTS) in Wales, with a view to providing a scheme which was equitable, sustainable, and delivered the maximum protection for low income and vulnerable households within the financial constraints. 

            The Cabinet Member and Head of Finance commented on the main considerations in the report.  The range of options identified by the WG for reducing entitlement were appended to the report and the recommended response to the consultation detailed in Appendix 2.  Members were advised that the options would impact in different ways on households currently in receipt of CTS and on local authority revenue.  The Cabinet Member and Head of Finance outlined the financial implications to the Authority and advised that the expected additional cost to Flintshire in 2014/15 was £0.633m. 

            The Cabinet Member reported that the draft responses to the consultation had been endorsed by the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee at a meeting held on 13 February 2014.  

RESOLVED: 

(a)       That the consultation be noted; and 

(b)       That the recommended responses, as prepared by senior officers within the Revenue and Benefits services, and detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, be noted.