A public consultation on proposed changes to Local Council Tax Support Schemes in North Northamptonshire went live on Monday 5th October.

Public consultation on the proposals for the new Council Tax Support Scheme for North Northamptonshire will be live for an eight-week period, beginning on Monday 5th October, until Monday 30th November 2020. The final scheme will be agreed by the North Shadow Executive Committee on 28 January 2021.

Residents and stakeholders across Corby, Kettering, East Northants and Wellingborough, along with countywide stakeholders, will be invited to have their say on the proposed changes to the Local Council Tax Support Schemes (LCTSS).

The schemes, also known as Council Tax Reduction Schemes, provide a reduction for working-age people and households on low incomes, to help them pay their council tax bill. There are individual schemes in place for Corby, Kettering, East Northamptonshire and Wellingborough, which are administered by the councils in each area.

Each council currently offers a different level of support through their LCTSS scheme, but on 1st April 2021, the formation of North Northamptonshire Council means that the existing four schemes need to be brought together into one scheme which is affordable, consistent and fair to all our residents wherever they live, not only for those that receive support but also for those that depend on wider services.   

Currently, the minimum Council Tax contribution that working age people must pay ranges from 8.5% to 45% across the four Councils. One proposal to bring the schemes together is for the minimum contribution to be set at 25% (therefore a maximum discount of 75%).  There are also another six proposals outlined in the consultation document.

Those of pensionable age are protected by the prescribed regulations set out by central government thereforewill not be affected by the changes proposed to the LCTSS in North Northamptonshire, and will continue to receive the same level of support that they have been used to getting from their current council.

Full details about the scheme, how the proposals were developed and the other options considered, along with the online consultation questionnaire, are available online at the following link:

https://futurenorthants.citizenspace.com/lctss-north/2021-22

(Please note this link went live on 5th October)

Please encourage those in your area to take part until 30 November. All responses are anonymous, and participants are not required to submit their name or address.