Test Valley Borough Council's Council Tax Support Scheme
Council Tax Support
The government abolished Council Tax Benefit from 1 April 2013 and asked councils across the country to develop their own schemes to replace it.
The Council implemented a new scheme for Council Tax Support from 1 April 2013 and this mirrored the previous Council Tax Benefit scheme. The Council has continued to update the scheme annually to allow for increases in other welfare benefits.
Council Tax Support Scheme 2019/20
On 23 January 2019, the Council agreed to amend the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2019/20 whilst continuing to protect the most vulnerable residents.
The following changes to the scheme affect working age customers only:
- apply a cap of 90% for customers not in receipt of the Support Component of Employment Support Allowance or the Limited Capability for Work Related Activity element of Universal Credit,
- set the minimum amount of Council Tax Support payable to £1.00 per week,
- set a minimum tolerance level for cumulative changes in income of £30.00 per week.
Council Tax Support Scheme 2020/21
On the 29 January 2020, the Council agreed to amend the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2020/21 whilst continuing to protect the most vulnerable residents.
The following changes to the scheme were approved and affect working age customers only:
- Set a fixed reduction for non-dependants living in a property (£4 per week)
- Restrict the maximum eligible capital level to £6,000
- Remove Second Adult Rebate (sometimes known as Alternate Maximum Council Tax Reduction) from the Council’s scheme
- Remove Extended Payments from the Council’s scheme.
Council Tax Support Scheme 2021/22 to 2024/25
The Council agreed to maintain the existing Council Tax Support Scheme for these financial years.
A full copy of the Council's Council Tax Support Schemes can be found on this page.