Some Cheshire East residents won’t have to pay any council tax from next April following changes being made to the support scheme, writes Belinda Ryan.
At present people in receipt of benefits such as jobseeker’s allowance or income support get 75% of their council tax paid under the council tax support scheme.
Now councillors have voted unanimously to increase the maximum award to 100% for those residents.
They also agreed to increase the maximum award for other groups in the lowest income bands to 80% from the current 75%.
Cheshire East Council leader Sam Corcoran (Sandbach Heath, Lab) said: “In 2015 the Labour group, then in opposition, opposed plans to increase the minimum contribution from 20% to 25% but it was voted through, increasing the burden on those least able to pay.
“I’m pleased to be able to implement what Labour suggested in opposition and reverse the increase forced through in 2015.
“And in the proposals we’re able to go much further increasing the maximum award to 100%, meaning those least able to pay council tax will not have to pay any council tax to Cheshire East Council.
“This protects households on low incomes.
“The scheme also supports families with an 80% discount on council tax for single child families with income less than £200 a week, or income less than £290 a week for families with two or more children.”
Conservative group leader Janet Clowes (Wybunbury) said she supported the changes.
“What we do need to be aware of is, that in order for this system to work, we do need a continuing decline in debt for other council tax payers to help, if you like, subsidise this support scheme,” she said.
“And also we are reliant on government funding that has come through to tide us over the initial Covid periods over the last 18 months so, while I support this, I would ask that we have very careful reviewings of how it’s working.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Rod Fletcher said his group fully supports the increase for those people that really need the help.
“Council tax itself has increased quite a lot in recent years, but a lot of the increases have been basically for social services,” said Cllr Fletcher.
“Really that support should have been coming from central government not increasing the price of council tax, especially for those most in need.”
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