Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Finance which sought approval for a number of amended Local Taxation and Benefits Discretionary Policies for 2020/21.

The report provided the full detail of proposed updates to the discretionary policies used to support Local Taxation and Benefits administration i.e. Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefits and Council Tax Reduction administration. The policies and proposed changes were:

The Discretionary Council Tax Discounts Policy

·         Speeding up the timeline for the decision making for Exceptional Hardship payments

·         Setting out of the process for considering requests for the removal of the Empty Property Premium.

The Discretionary Business Rate Relief Policy

·         An adjustment to the Discretionary Revaluation Relief policy to re-introduce the requirement for businesses to apply for this relief and to reflect reduced Government funding for the final year of the scheme.

·         An adjustment to the process for approving applications for Discretionary Rate Relief

·         Incorporation of and expanded list of additional discounts and reliefs for the 2020/21 financial year that Central Government has introduced.

The Cabinet was informed that the Local Welfare Provision (LWP) and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) policies had also been subject to an annual review. No proposals for changing the policy had been identified for 2020/21.

It was noted that, due to the coronavirus, there was a rapidly-changing range of Government policy revisions. Government guidance on the allocation of funds to support to support Council Tax payers suffering financial hardship and businesses had not yet been received and policies may be required to be created. The amendment of discretionary policies or the creation of new policies may be required. Action around these would be taken under delegation to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services and the Director of Finance.

RESOLVED - That :

1.    The amendments to the Discretionary Council Tax Discounts Policy and the Discretionary Business Rates Relief Policy summarised at Section 2 of the report be approved.

2.    The Local Taxation and Benefits’ Discretionary Policies for the 2020/21 financial year as presented at Appendices 1 to 4 be approved.

3.    The delegation to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services and the Director of Finance to amend policies or create new ones to align to revisions to Government guidance or new Government guidance or local circumstances be approved.