Purpose

Cabinet is asked to
consider the options for Council Tax Support (CTS) for
2025/26.
 
Cabinet is also
asked to disregard income from war widows (widowers) pensions, war
disablement pensions and income from the armed forces compensation
scheme during housing benefit entitlement assessments.

Content

RESOLVED –
 
THAT having due regard to the obligations set out in section 149
of the Equality Act 2010 and the Equalities Impact Assessment at
Appendix C:
 

(i)             
THAT the Council be recommended to agree that, from 1 April 2025,
the current Council Tax Reduction Scheme is updated to reflect the
new London Living Wage amount in our income bands as set out in
Appendix B.
 

(ii)            
THAT the Council be recommended to delegate authority to the
Director of Finance to make changes to the approved scheme during
2025/26 to reflect any requirements set by Government to either the
prescribed regulations for pensioners or the local working age
scheme to ensure the scheme remains legally consistent and up to
date as the legislation changes.
 

(iii)          
THAT the Housing Benefit Service can continue to disregard
all     income from War Widows
(Widowers) pensions or War Disablement pensions, rather than just
the first £10 of income when assessing entitlement to housing
benefits be agreed.
 

(iv)          
THAT the Housing Benefit Service can disregard all income
from the ‘armed forces compensation scheme’ rather than
just the first £10 of income when assessing entitlement to
housing benefits be agreed.