HARLOW Council has agreed to introduce a new income banded Council Tax Reduction Scheme for working age applicants which will come into effect before April 2026.

Last year the council consulted residents on changing its Council Tax Support Scheme. Under the changes those on the lowest incomes will receive more financial help than they currently do, and the scheme will be easier to access and understand.

Each year the council must decide the scope of Council Tax support 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 6,159 Council Taxpayers with their Council Tax bill of which 3,945 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 cost of the new scheme will increase and be closer to £7.2 million with around £4.4 million to support working age households.

The changes will:

make the scheme easier to understand and access
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

The new scheme was approved at the Full Council meeting in December 2024. It will come into effect before April 2026 to allow time to implement the changes.

Commenting on the new scheme, Councillor James Leppard, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Finance, said:

“Our Council Tax support scheme supports nearly 4,000 working age 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. The changes will not only make the scheme easier to understand and access but those on the lowest incomes will receive more financial help.”