Issue - meetings

To consider the Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2021/22.

RESOLVED to recommend for approval by Council the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2021/22 based on the following;

I. The contribution rate is frozen for the sixth consecutive year at 12.5%.

II. The Council continues to protect Vulnerable and Disabled Residents and Carers on a low income.

Councillor Gregory entered the meeting at 7.10pm.

Councillor Hargreaves presented the report outlining the Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2021/22. He said that the Scheme was the most generous in Essex and that the number of claimants had been falling in recent years, although this trend had been reversed with an increase of applications this year. He corrected the table found at paragraph 23, as the year should state 2021-2022. An extensive consultation had been carried out in relation to the Scheme, but the response rate had been low. He said he would respond to the comments from Thaxted Parish Council in relation to how the Scheme was funded, as this had changed in the past five years. He proposed recommending the Scheme to Full Council.

Members discussed the survey and how to increase consultation responses.

Councillor Hargreaves said it was difficult to increase the response rate to the consultation, as it was not a high priority for most people, particularly if they were happy with the scheme as proposed. He said in previous years consultations were carried out at great expense, with little positive impact on the response rate.

Councillor Lees asked members of Cabinet and Group Leaders to look over the survey and to see whether changes could be made to increase the response rate of future consultations.

RESOLVED to recommend for approval by Council the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2021/22 based on the following;

I. The contribution rate is frozen for the sixth consecutive year at 12.5%.

II. The Council continues to protect Vulnerable and Disabled Residents and Carers on a low income.