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RESOLVED:
That Council:
 

(1)  
Approved the
continuation of the banded scheme for working age applicants which
remains largely unchanged for 2025/2026, a small adjustment to the
income bands to reflect CPI has been incorporated to ensure the
scheme continues to support those most in need.
 

(2)  
Noted the cost of the
scheme is currently £9.18m noting that this is not an actual
cost but a reduction of the amount of council tax
collected.
 

(3)  
Noted that the
Discretionary Exceptional Hardship Scheme, previously agreed to
provide additional transitional support will continue to be used to
support cases of exceptional hardship.

 
REASONS FOR
DECISION: To ensure that the Council has a Council Tax Reduction
Scheme that continues to:
 

(1)  
Provide the greatest
support to the lowest income households.

 

(2)  
Reduce the
administrative burden that has been placed on the Council since the
introduction of Universal Credit (UC)

 

(3)  
Be simple to
understand, meaning that customers will be able to calculate
entitlement and assess the impact of potential changes in
circumstances.