Decision details

The Director of Resources submitted a report updating committee on the Council Tax Energy Rebate that had been announced by the Chancellor on 3 February 2022. Committee were also asked to consider next steps regarding making payments to council taxpayers in bands A to D and determining how to spend the discretionary funding that had been allocated.

The Government had published guidance to billing authorities on how the rebates would be administered.

For the core scheme funding totalling £2,822,850 had been allocated to Ribble Valley BC. A one-off £150 payment would be made to all council taxpayers for every household that occupies a property which meets the following criteria on 1 April 2022 –

·         It is valued in council tax band A to D. This includes properties in band E that have a disabled band reduction;

·         It is someone’s sole or main residence;

·         It is a chargeable dwelling, or in except classes N,S,V or W, and

·         The person liable to pay the council tax (or would be were the property not except) is not a local authority, a corporate body or other body such as a housing association, the government or governmental body.

The Director of Resources informed members that as at 13 March 2022 there were 28,485 properties in Ribble Valley, 19,664 of which are in bands A to D, and 41 properties in band E that have disabled band reduction.

The discretionary scheme recognised that billing authorities might also wish to provide support to other energy bill payers who were not eligible under the core scheme or to provide targeted ‘top up’ payments to the most vulnerable households.

For this, funding of £88,500 had been allocated to Ribble Valley BC, which equates to 590 payments of £150. At present there were 109 council taxpayers in receipt of Local Council Tax Support in band E to H and paying them £150 each would total £16,350.

There are 2,108 council taxpayers in receipt of Local Council Tax Support and giving each one of them a top up of £30 would total £63,240.

Councillor Mirfin was given permission to speak on this item.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1.    Note the additional core funding provided by the Government and approve the process proposed to distribute it;

2.    Agree that the discretionary funding should be provide a £150.00 payment to Local Council Tax Support recipients on 1 April 2022 in bands E to H and to provide a £30 ‘top up’ to Local Council Tax Support recipients in all bands on 1 April 2022, and

3.    Agree to delegate the decision to award further payments, with the balance of any funding remaining to the Director of Resources in conjunction with the Head of Revenues and Benefits to cover other council taxpayers who have been severely impacted by the increase in energy prices.