Residents urged to have their say on future of council tax benefit

From April next year the 
rebate will come to an end and the authority will be responsible for devising a replacement scheme to support low earners.

It will receive £6m fewer from the Government to do so.

The council is launching a consultation on whether it should slash council tax support to working age recipients by 30 per cent or 10 per cent – the more it protects benefit receivers, the more money will have to be taken away from other council-funded services.

Pensioners are exempt from the changes and will continue to receive the same amount of financial support.

Council leader Keith 
Wakefield said: “We have some really difficult decisions to make as these changes will affect some of the most vulnerable people in our city, and will leave us 
with even less money to support them.

“We already have massive savings to make, so this will put even more strain on the money we need to spend on essential services.

“We need to know what people in Leeds think about the choices we have to make, so we can make the best decision.”

Option one being considered is to cut council tax support to working age recipients by around 30 per cent, this would cover the £6m shortfall.

Option two would see support slashed by 10 per cent in the 
first 12 months – in this scenario the council would have to 
take money away from other services.

Surveys are in the process of being posted out to people of working age to gain feedback.

The questionnaire will also ask residents what they think about charging council tax on empty properties and second homes.

As part of the Government’s changes, councils have been given an extra decision-making power to say if they want to start charging council tax on empty properties.

Currently owners of properties which are empty for a short time are not charged council tax for up to six or 12 months.

If the council was able to charge council tax for these properties the extra income generated could help to protect council services.

Leeds City Council is already having to save £40m across all services due to reduced 
Government funding.

The deadline to reply to the council tax consultation is 
November 8. A final decision on the new scheme will be made early in the new year.

People can fill out a survey or share their views online at www.leeds.gov.uk/counciltaxconsultation. Call 0113 376 0408 for information about the paper survey.