The Scrutiny & Overview Committee was scheduled to consider proposals for changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2027-28 and review the Executive Mayor's Delivery Plan for 2026-30. The committee was also scheduled to examine the council's work programme and consider scrutiny recommendations.

Review of Council Tax Support Scheme 2027-28

The committee was scheduled to review a report concerning potential changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme (CTS) for working-age residents, which was due to be considered by the Cabinet on 23 September 2026. The report outlined several options for revising the scheme, aiming to achieve potential savings ranging from £3.6 million to £11.9 million. These options included reducing the maximum entitlement for various claimant groups, such as disabled residents not working, lone parents with a child under five, and other working-age residents. The report also detailed potential changes to the earnings disregard for disabled working claimants and the introduction of band caps.

The report highlighted that Croydon is one of London's most financially stressed councils, and the current CTS scheme costs approximately £39 million annually. The proposed changes were informed by benchmarking against other London boroughs, with the principal proposals not envisaging reducing support below levels already provided elsewhere in London. The council was seeking authorisation to undertake statutory consultation on these potential changes, with a view to reporting any conclusions or recommendations to the Cabinet. The report also noted that any changes would be subject to comprehensive public consultation, and a final recommendation on any changes would be presented to Full Council in February 2027.

The report detailed various options for changes to the scheme, including:

• Reducing the maximum award for disabled not working residents from 100% to 50% (Option 1), or 70% (Option 2), or 80% (Option 3 and 4).
• Reducing the maximum award for lone parents with a child under five from 80% to 50% (Option 1), or 70% (Option 2 and 3), or 80% (Option 4).
• Reducing the maximum award for working-age residents not in a protected group from 75% to 50% (Option 1 and 2), or 65% (Option 3 and 4).
• Reducing the earnings disregard for disabled working claimants from £50 to £0 (Option 1 and 2), or £25 (Option 3 and 4).

Other considerations included reducing the band cap from D to C, changing the criteria for the disabled not working group, altering the maximum capital limit, and potentially disregarding income from war disablement pensions or compensation schemes. The report also discussed administrative changes, such as aligning the time limit for backdating changes with other benefits and amending the disregard for childcare costs.

The report indicated that a statutory consultation was planned to commence on Monday 28 September 2026. The financial implications of the proposed options were modelled, with potential savings ranging from £3.6 million to £12.0 million. Legal implications were also outlined, emphasizing the need to comply with statutory frameworks, public law principles, and equality duties. An equalities baseline had been produced, with a full Equality Impact Assessment to be completed following the statutory consultation.

Delivering the Mayor's Business Plan: Mayor's Delivery Plan 2026-30

The committee was scheduled to review the Executive Mayor's Delivery Plan 2026-30, which translates the seven priorities of the Mayor's Business Plan into a practical programme of action. The plan aims to bring together work from across the council into a single framework with clear ownership, milestones, and measures of progress. The seven priorities are: A Cleaner, Safer Croydon; A Town Centre that is Busy, Confident and Thriving; Stronger Local High Streets and Economies; A Fair Deal for Residents; Better Roads, Better Journeys; Places People Can Be Proud to Call Home; and Backing Families, Young People and Adults.

The report highlighted that the Delivery Plan has been developed through a structured process of engagement, validation, and corporate challenge. It is intended to ensure that delivery remains affordable and is supported by the Council's Financial Strategy 2027-30. Progress against the plan is to be monitored internally each month, reported publicly to Cabinet every six months, and reviewed annually. The plan emphasizes visible improvements across the borough, with clear accountability, measurable outcomes, and regular performance reporting.

Scrutiny Recommendations

The committee was scheduled to review and note the responses provided by the Mayor to recommendations previously made by the Scrutiny & Overview Committee. This report serves as a standing item to ensure the committee can monitor the responses given to its recommendations. The appendices to the report were to detail the Cabinet's responses to recommendations made regarding the 2025-26 Period 5 Financial Performance Report, the Future Croydon Transformation Programme Update, the Safer Croydon Partnership Community Safety Strategy, and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

For the 2025-26 Period 5 Financial Performance Report, a recommendation to include separate budget lines for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and Young Adults was accepted and implemented in the Period 9 Financial Performance Report.

Regarding the Future Croydon Transformation Programme Update, a recommendation to exclude business-as-usual improvements from future reporting was accepted and implemented.

For the Safer Croydon Partnership Community Safety Strategy, several recommendations were noted as Already in Progress. These included lobbying the Metropolitan Police Service for additional resourcing, considering how to engage and communicate with the community, and incorporating qualitative data on residents' perceptions of crime into the monitoring framework. The partnership was also to consider including actions taken to address risks such as grooming gangs, fraud, and modern slavery.

Concerning Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, a recommendation to proactively allocate additional staff resources to ensure the refund process remained efficient was accepted, with ongoing monitoring of resource levels.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-27

The committee was scheduled to note the most recent version of the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2026-27 and consider whether any other items should be added. The programme had been developed following discussions with officers and was informed by meetings with Corporate Directors and the Government-appointed Commissioners. The Council's finances and Transformation Programme were identified as principal priorities, alongside residents' access to council services. The work programme included scheduled items such as the Mayor's Business Plan, the Council Tax Support Scheme, a review of the Complaints Report, and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and Budget Savings Proposals. The Children & Young People, Health & Social Care, and Homes Sub-Committees also had their respective work programmes outlined, covering areas such as SEND reforms, youth justice, family hubs, adult social care, housing improvement, and environmental enforcement.