HARLOW Council is asking residents for their views on proposed changes to the working age Council Tax support Scheme from 1 April 2025.  

Under the council’s proposals, those on the lowest incomes would receive more financial help than they currently do, and the scheme would be easier to access and understand.

Each year the council must decide the scope of the Council Tax Support Scheme for working age applicants in our town. There are no changes for pension age applicants as they are part of the national scheme.

The scheme currently supports 6,249 Council Taxpayers with their Council Tax bill of which 4,034 are of working age. The scheme is jointly funded by Harlow Council, Essex County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex and the Fire and Rescue.

Currently, the support is worth around £6.7 million with around £3.9 million supporting working age households. The proposed changes to the scheme would mean an increased level of support estimated to be £7.2 million with £4.4 million to support working age households.

The proposals aim to:

• make the scheme easier to understand and access
• provide an increased level of support for households on the lowest incomes
• make the scheme work better with the Universal Credit system
• support families and applicants who receive a disability benefit
• take away the need for constant changes in awards
• make the scheme easier to manage

Ahead of the consultation the proposed scheme was considered by the council’s Scrutiny Committee. Following public consultation, the final scheme is set to be approved by the Council’s Cabinet in December 2024. 

Residents can have their say at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HARLOWCTRFINAL/. The consultation will run until 5pm on Friday 15 November.

Commenting on the proposals, Councillor James Leppard, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: “Our Council Tax support scheme supports over 6,000 Harlow households with their Council Tax bill, but we want to further improve this scheme as we continue to progress our mission to deliver high-performing council services.

“I urge all residents to have their say on these proposals by responding to the consultation. If you are of working age, these changes may provide you with some additional financial support as we make the scheme simpler and more generous.”