Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets

RESOLVED

i)        To recommend to Council  that the inclusion of a ‘no-change’ CTR scheme for 2021/22 be agreed.

ii)       To adopt the proposal for the dispersal of the remaining discretionary funds outlined in paragraph 3.6 of the report.

REASON

i)           CTR schemes are annual schemes and therefore require an annual review and approval, even when no changes to the scheme are being proposed.

ii)          Approval of the allocation of the discretionary funding is needed to ensure all remaining money is distributed.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets gave an overview of Horsham’s current CTR scheme, which provided financial support for those on low incomes.  The current scheme reduced the amount of council tax paid by working age customers in financial difficulties. The Cabinet Member advised that the Council’s scheme was one of the most generous in the country.  Given the challenges caused by the pandemic, particularly for residents working in retail and hospitality, it was proposed that the scheme remained unchanged for 2021/22.   

The report also recommended how the remaining discretionary funds from the Government’s ‘Council Tax Covid-19 Hardship Fund’, should be distributed.  The Cabinet Member advised that approximately £220,000 remained unspent and proposed that this should be allocated to customers who were still in arrears for the current financial year.   

RESOLVED

i)        To recommend to Council that the inclusion of a ‘no-change’ CTR scheme for 2021/22 be agreed.

ii)       To adopt the proposal for the dispersal of the remaining discretionary funds outlined in paragraph 3.6 of the report.

REASON

i)           CTR schemes are annual schemes and therefore require an annual review and approval, even when no changes to the scheme are being proposed.

ii)          Approval of the allocation of the discretionary funding is needed to ensure all remaining money is distributed.