Stroud District Council is inviting people and organisations to respond to its annual Council Tax consultation.
It includes two proposals to the way Council Tax bills are calculated.
The first is a change to the way Council Tax Support bills are calculated.
People of working age who claim Universal Credit can have their entitlement to benefits re-calculated every month. Under the existing Council Tax Support scheme, any changes in Universal Credit, however small, will also result in a re-calculation of Council Tax Support, and a new bill.
There are 3,210 working age claimants in the district who receive Council Tax Support, and more than 2,000 changes of circumstances that are calculated each month, an increase of 47% in the last 12 months.
SDC proposes to only re-calculate Council Tax Support if the changes to Universal Credit are £10 per week or more. This will significantly reduce the amount of administration for both the claimant and the council’s Revenues & Benefits team.
The proposals do not affect people of pension age.
The second proposal is to remove the second adult rebate. Stroud District Council allows a Council Tax rebate if a second adult (not partners) in the household is on a low income.
Cllr Doina Cornell, Leader of Stroud District Council said: “The latest government statistics show that nationally very few councils continue to provide the level of Council Tax support that we do at Stroud District Council.
As more people claim Universal Credit, or transfer to it, the need to simplify the scheme for claimants has become more pressing.”
More information, and how to respond to the consultation can be found at: Local Council Tax Support scheme 2022/23 | Stroud District Council
