Issue - meetings

Council Tax Reduction Scheme

 

 

Meeting: 08/07/2025 - Budget Planning Committee (Item 9)

9 Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2026/27 pdf icon PDF 262 KB

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

 

Purpose of Report

 

To enable members to consider the proposed banded scheme for Council Tax Reduction (CTR) for 2026/27.

 

Recommendations

 

The Budget Planning Committee resolves:

 

1.1         To note the contents of the report, and any financial implications for the Council.

 

1.2         To recommend to Executive that the current scheme is retained for 2026/27.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)      That the contents of the report and any financial implications for the Council be noted.

 

(2)      That, having given due consideration, Executive be recommended to agree that the current scheme is retained for 2026/27.

Minutes:

The Assistant Director of Finance (S151 Officer) submitted a report for Members to consider the proposed banded scheme for Council Tax Reduction (CTR) for 2026/27.

 

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Property and Regeneration advised the Committee that the scheme was an update to the current scheme that was introduced in April. There were no proposed changes to the scheme and it was recommended that the current scheme, uprated for inflationary factors, continue.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Property and Regeneration explained that there was a proposed change to the administration of the process to include Universal Credit customers as Council Tax Reduction (CTR) applicants by accepting the DWP information through the data sharing agreement. There was an anticipated nominal increase of £72k in the cost of the scheme, however this would be offset by the streamlined administration of onboarding new CTR claims at the point of the customer claiming Universal Credit.

 

Members of the Committee commented that it was an excellent scheme and the proposed change to the administration would make the scheme even better for those eligible. Members commended officers for the 98.02%Council Tax collection rate in Cherwell, which was reported as the highest rate for all authorities within Oxfordshire.

 

Resolved

 

(1)        That the contents of the report and any financial implications for the Council be noted.

 

(2)        That, having given due consideration, Executive be recommended to agree that the current scheme is retained for 2026/27.