Council tax Support scheme could be cut

NORTH Somerset Council is once again considering reducing the help it gives area's poorest with their council tax - a year after abandoning the idea which one councillor had warned was “so discriminatory” that it could be illegal.

- John WIMPERIS Local democracy reporter [e-mail]

11,250 of the lowest income households in North Somerset currently receive a discount on their council tax - but now more than half of them could see that discount reduced.

North Somerset Council is currently running a public consultation on plans to save half a million pounds by reducing the discount for “working age” households by ten percentage points.

Someone with no monthly income can currently get a 75.5% discount on their council tax, but this could soon be reduced to 65.5%.

For people who earn between £1,000.01 and £1,400 a month, the discount would more than halve from the current level of 18% to just 8%.

The reduction would apply to the 6,400 working-age households who claim the support. The council spends an estimated £5.8m a year on providing the support to these households - but the proposed cut could reduce this to £5.3m.

Pensioners would not lose out on the support, as that is mandated by the government.