Decision details

Further to Minute No. 83 of the Cabinet meeting held on 13 December 2012, the Council considered the report of the Head of Corporate Finance and ICT which outlined the results of the consultation relating to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme including the Equality Analysis Report, and the results of consultation relating to the removal of Council Tax discounts and exemptions for unoccupied properties, together with an update on Government changes to proposed legislation, including the Equality Analysis Report.

The report also set out a proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme and a range of Council Tax discounts and exemption changes; provided an update on the latest Government announcement regarding transitional funding being made available to Local Authorities for the Council Tax Reduction scheme, together with the impact of the proposed grant on Sefton Council; and identified ways in which the Council proposes to help those most financially affected by the change through a hardship fund in order to meet its objective of protecting the most vulnerable residents of Sefton.

The report contained the following annexes:

Annex A:       Council Tax Reduction Scheme options – with financial implications

Annex B:       Council Tax Technical changes with financial implications

Annex C:       Consultation and Engagement relating to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Council Tax Technical Changes

Annex D:       Equality Analysis Report – Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Annex E:       Equality Analysis Report – Council Tax Technical changes relating to discount and exemptions for vacant unoccupied properties

Annex F:        Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme

It was moved by Councillor P. Dowd, seconded by Councillor Maher and

RESOLVED:That

(1)       the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2013/14, as summarised in paragraph 14 and set out in Annex F of the report, be approved and adopted to take effect from 1 April 2013;

(2)       approval be given to the changes to discounts and exemptions for empty and unoccupied properties to take effect from 1 April 2013 in order to minimise the impact for non pensioner claimants, as summarised in paragraph 14, and set out in Annex B of the report;

(3)       approval be given to the introduction of an empty homes premium to take effect from 1 April 2013, as summarised in paragraph 14, and set out in Annex B of the report;

(4)       the Government transitional grant be not accepted; and

(5)       it be noted that the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Performance and Corporate Services) had been requested to give their consent under Rule 46 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, for the decision to be taken by the Cabinet at its meeting on 31 January 2013 on the Council Tax Base to be treated as urgent and not subject to “call in”, because legislation requires local authorities to notify the Department for Communities and Local Government and precepting bodies of the Council Tax Base by no later than 31 January 2013.  This would necessitate the Cabinet decision being actioned on the same day.