Sefton Council has agreed alterations to the Council Tax Reduction scheme for people in Sefton who are of working age and receiving Universal Credit while in employment.
Agreed at Thursday night’s meeting of the full Council, the changes will simplify the process of working out the amounts due to people who are working but on low pay, job-seekers and people on a wide range of benefits, including Universal Credit, who can also qualify for Council Tax Reduction.
Small changes in people’s circumstances that can have a minor effect on people’s Council Tax Reduction will now be ignored. Those small changes can include occasions where someone has worked a few extra hours in one month or has received a back-dated pay rise. The Department of Work and Pensions informs the Council of these changes but after they have been calculated they often make very little difference.
Working out these changes can cost the Council more to work out than the amount it saves in a cut to the person’s Council Tax reduction.
Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulatory Compliance and Corporate Services said:
“These proposed changes to our Council Tax Reduction Scheme would have the triple benefit of making it easier for those households affected to pay their bills, reducing confusion for customers and saving the Council money calculating the figures.
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