Council tax benefit controversy

Further to the recent New Policy Institute report on council tax benefit schemes, post April 2013, (see rightsnet news story Two thirds of councils will expect council tax contribution from all working age claimants), the Guardian has published a piece today further examining the findings.

As well as reiterating the variable nature of expected contributions according to which local authority area any household is in, they report that:

”...in Brentwood, the backyard of the cabinet minister in charge of local government, Eric Pickles….the Conservative council has decided that families living in bigger houses – those in Bands F to H – will have to pay the full council tax of almost £3,000 a year irrespective of income. It advises families to “move to a smaller property” or get a lodger.

For the whole piece, see Poorer households face postcode lottery as council tax benefit cuts bite

GREAT Britain 2013
“Elsewhere, the long-term unemployed face a tougher regime of payments. Ealing council, controlled by Labour, has decided on a minimum payment of about £210 a year, but this jumps to £330 for residents unemployed for more than 12 months, which the institute says is “an exceptionally punitive measure that will hit this group very hard”

In Devon there was a consensus at the start of the planning process to try to come up with similar schemes across the county. However, as the government came up with extra money at the end of 2012, it now means that the postcode lottery has kicked in for at least 2012/13. In Torbay the extra grant would have left the Council worse off, but not in the smaller authorities with far fewer claimants such as South Hams and Teignbridge. I understand from the media that Cornwall unitary will not be requiring a contribution after the payment proposals were voted down.

I think a lot of LAs are tweaking schemes to try to get their hands on some of the ‘new’ money.

Steve

Cornwall Council ‘failed to agree’ the proposed scheme on Wednesday - but they are trying to scrabble together a scheme that can be agreed on 29th January when they have a further full council meeting.  If they can’t agree on a scheme then, the default scheme will kick in.

So it’s not quite done and dusted yet.

JK

Oh dear, going down to the line!

There are schemes going to full council on 30 and 31 Jan which could be cutting it a bit fine if the weather doesn’t improve.

This from Basingstoke’s website:

Benefit changes
Council tax support decision
During a meeting of full council on 13 December 2012, councillors voted to retain the existing council tax benefit scheme as the local council tax support scheme for 2013/14. This means those people who qualify for council tax benefit will continue to receive the current level of support until March 2014, providing their circumstances remain the same.

Notifications showing how the amount of council tax support is calculated, and a council tax bill showing the amount of support awarded, will be issued on or around 15 March 2013.

Those people who are receiving council tax benefit on the 15 March 2013, or have made a claim which has not been dealt with by that date, do not need to make another application for 2013/14. The council will use the information that has been provided to calculate the support for 2013/14.

I’m livid at the way the Isle of Wight Council have promoted their scheme.

They have put it forward as giving 100% protection to anyone disabled or vulnerable, but this is seriously misleading as the detailed rules show that this only includes people on obsolete disability benefits , DLA, or ESA support group. DLA is of course due to be abloished, and PIP is conspicuously absent.