Consultation: Council Tax Support for lower income households

The scheme is for people of working age and the options do not affect or make any changes to what pensioners already receive.

Council Tax Support reduces the amount that households on low incomes need to pay towards their Council Tax bill. The Council Tax itself helps pay for hundreds of services from adult social care, to household waste and recycling collections, to street lighting.

Almost 18,000 (17,868) working age households in the city are currently in receipt of Council Tax Support and the value of the support provided is £17m annually. 

The council is considering changes to the scheme so that it:

• Provides more support for households on the lowest incomes;
• Makes the scheme easier for people to understand and apply for;
• Provides greater stability to those who receive financial support by reducing the number of changes to their Council Tax bill as their income changes;
• Makes the scheme work better with Universal Credit.

Consultation has opened on the proposals and is open to Friday 27 December. See: Council tax support and discounts consultation - Sunderland City Council

 The consultation forms part of the decision-making process for next year's budget.

The City Council's Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Equalities, Councillor Alison Smith said: "As a council we are and have always been committed to assisting residents wherever possible, which is why we are looking at these changes.

"What we have set out in the proposals is strengthening and simplifying a scheme that continues to help and support our lowest income households, allows them to budget and yet also has incentives for being in work."