/ BMG I/
COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION
CONSULTATION
Have your say in our questionnaire on proposed changes
We would like your views on our draft Council Tax Reduction scheme, and the major changes to the current scheme we are proposing. The general principles behind the draft scheme are set out below, and each principle is then explained in more detail, followed by some questions we would like you to answer. Examples of how the scheme might work are included in the additional leaflet.In April 2013, the Government abolished the national Council Tax Benefit scheme and each council is now required to introduce its own local Council Tax Reduction scheme. The amount of money the Government gives councils to fund a local scheme is now at least 10% less than the grant that was given for Council Tax Benefit. This means that Chiltern District Council has at least £435,000 less to help low income households with their Council Tax. The Government has also indicated that funding for councils will continue to be reduced in the future.
The current scheme for pensioners will not be changed so changes to the scheme will only apply to working age people.
When devising the scheme for 2013/14, the Council adopted the ‘default’ Council Tax Reduction scheme which meant the scheme was very similar to Council Tax Benefit, with the funding gap covered by Council Tax payers, and not by anyone currently in receipt of a Council Tax Reduction. The Council made it clear that this would only be the case for the first year. Now, in order to balance the impact of the funding reduction between claimants and all Council Tax payers, the Council is preparing for a revised scheme to take effect from April 2014.
Chiltern District Council’s draft scheme is based on the following principles:
- The scheme should reduce the cost of support to the general Council Tax payer and there will be a maximum amount that can be given. To do this everyone of working age should pay something towards their Council Tax;
- The scheme should provide some protection for the vulnerable in society;
- The scheme should give people the incentive and support to go to work, and help those in low paid work;
- The scheme should not be complex to administer or for customers to understand.
Please take the time to read the examples which have been provided on a separate sheet before completing this questionnaire.
Independent researchers BMG are carrying out this survey on behalf of Chiltern District Council. The survey complies with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Market Research Society Code of Practice. All of your answers will be treated in the strictest confidence and will be anonymous.
Many thanks in advance for your participation.
Helpful hints for completing this questionnaire:
This questionnaire can be completed by any resident aged 18 or over living at this address.
This questionnaire consists of 8 pages and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.
Please read each question carefully and place a cross () in a box to indicate your answer, please do not tick the box.
If you make a mistake please fill in the box like this:
In most cases you will only have to put a cross in one box but please read the questions carefully as sometimes you will need to put a cross in more than one box.
Some questions include an ‘other’ option. If you would like to include an answer other than one of those listed within the question, please put a cross in the ‘other’ box and write in your answer in the space provided. Please ensure that what you write is within the box provided for your answer.
Once you have finished please take a minute to check you have answered all the questions.
Once you have completed the questionnaire please return it in the pre-addressed envelope supplied. You do not need to add a stamp. If you cannot find, or did not receive, the pre-addressed envelope please send to:
FREEPOST
BMG Research,
7 Holt Court North,
Heneage Street West,
Aston Science Park,
B7 4BR
Alternatively please contact the BMG Helpline on 0800 358 0337.
Thank you in advance for your time.
If you require a copy in large print or have any other requirements please contact the BMG helpline on FREEPHONE 0800 358 0337
Have your say – the consultation questions
Working age people
Chiltern District Council has designed a draft Council Tax Reduction scheme which will make savings to offset the reduction in Government funding. Due to the protection given to pensioners, we propose to achieve these savings by reducing the level of Council Tax Reduction available to working age people.We propose that most working age claimants should pay at least 20% of their Council Tax charge. The actual amount someone has to pay will depend on their income and savings and any other discounts that may apply.
Q1.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the principle that everyone of working age should pay something towards their Council Tax bill?
PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Properties in higher Council Tax Bands
We propose that working age people who live in more valuable properties will have a cap on the level of help that they receive. We will do this by making the maximum Council Tax Reduction we provide based on the Council Tax charge for a band D property, even if the person lives in a property in band E or higher.Q2.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the principle that the maximum reduction that a person receives is based on the Council Tax charge for a property in Council Tax band D?
PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Protection for the vulnerable
We propose to offer some protection to the most vulnerable people but they will still have to pay at least 10% of their Council Tax and will also have a cap on the amount they can claim for if they are living in a property that is above Band D.We think that the most vulnerable people are:
- Families where the Council Tax payer, partner or a child is disabled and is entitled to specified disability benefits, or where the claimant or partner is entitled to Carers Allowance for looking after someone; and
- Lone parents with a child aged under 5.
Q3.To what extent do you agree or disagree that the most vulnerable people should still pay something towards their Council Tax? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Q4.To what extent do you agree or disagree that each of the groups that we have identified below are the most vulnerable and should be protected? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY PER ROW
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree / Don’t knowCarers...... / / / / / /
Disabled adult...... / / / / / /
Families with a disabled child.... / / / / / /
Lone parents with a child under 5. / / / / / /
Q5.Are there any other groups that you feel should be treated as vulnerable? If so please write them in the box below.
Incentive and support to go to work
We propose to continue with a four-week ‘extended payment’, which means that the amount of someone’s Council Tax Reduction will not go down during the first four weeks of them being in a new job.Q6.To what extent do you agree or disagree that keeping the four-week ‘extended payment’ for people starting a new job will give people the incentive and support to go to work, and help those in low paid work? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Calculations of earnings
We propose to change the way that we calculate earnings that will be taken into account. This includes the introduction of a percentage of earnings being disregarded rather than the flat rate amount that we use now. This means that the more you earn the more you will be able to keep before this is taken into account in the calculation of your Council Tax Reduction. For example, under the current scheme, if you are a single person earning £100 per week we will disregard £5 of that meaning we take into account £95. Under the proposed new scheme we will disregard 25% of your earnings meaning if you earn £100 we take into account £75.Q7.To what extent do you agree or disagree that disregarding 25% of earnings when calculating someone’s Council Tax Reduction will incentivise and support people moving into work, and help those in low paid work? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Treatment of Income
Currently some income is not counted when working out how much Council Tax Reduction a person should get. We are now proposing to take the following income into account in full:- Voluntary charitable payments received as income;
- Widowed parent’s allowance;
- Income from student loans; and
- Child maintenance and maintenance paid by a former partner.
Q8.To what extent do you agree or disagree that each of these incomes should be taken into account when working out how much Council Tax Reduction a person should get? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY PER ROW
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly disagree / Don’t knowVoluntary charitable payments... / / / / / /
Widowed parents allowance..... / / / / / /
Student loans...... / / / / / /
Child maintenance...... / / / / / /
Maintenance paid by a former partner / / / / / /
Treatment of Capital
We propose to increase the amount of capital that people can hold before it is taken into account when working out how much Council Tax Reduction a person should get. For working age people this will be increasing from £6,000 to £10,000.Q9.To what extent do you agree or disagree that a customer should be able to hold £10,000 in capital before it is taken into account when working out how much Council Tax Reduction they should get? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Non-dependants (other people who live in the household)
Under the current Council Tax Reduction scheme, where a working age person has other people living in their home that are not dependent on them (such as children who have left school, parents, other relatives or friends), there are a range of deductions made from the Council Tax Reduction award depending on whether or not the non-dependant is working and the level of their income. We do not make any deductions where the non-dependants receive Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.We are proposing to introduce a standard deduction of £5 per week for each non-dependant that is in the person’s household regardless of their income and their circumstances. This will mean people will not need to provide proof of their non-dependant’s income and advise of changes in their income. However, no deduction will be made where a claimant, or their partner, is registered blind or receives Attendance Allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance or Daily Support Element of Personal Independence Payments.
Q10.To what extent do you agree or disagree that a standard deduction of £5 per week for each non-dependant should be introduced where working age claimants have non-dependants living with them? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Stronglyagree / Agree / Neither / nor / Disagree / Strongly
disagree / Don’t know
/ / / / /
Comments and Suggestions
Q11.Do you have any comments you would like to make about our draft scheme? We welcome your views on the proposals put forward and any alternative options you would like us to consider. Please state your reasons in the box provided below.
Q12.We would also like to hear if you think our options will affect particular individuals or groups more than others. If so, how do you think we may be able to address these. Please write your answer in the box provided below.
ABOUT YOUPlease complete these questions which will help us to see if there are differences between the views of different residents. Please be assured that all the information you give will be kept completely confidential.
Q13.Are you responding as any of the following? PLEASE CROSS ALL THAT APPLY
A recipient of a Council Tax Reduction (Pensioner) / / A family with a child under 5...... / A recipient of a Council Tax Reduction (non Pensioner) / / A lone parent with a child under 5... /
A Council Tax payer (Pensioner)...... / / An individual with additional needs due to disabilities /
A Council Tax payer (non Pensioner)...... / / A carer of someone with a disability. /
Other (PLEASE CROSS AND WRITE IN THE BOX TO THE RIGHT) /
Q14.Are you...... ? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Male...... / / Female...... / Q15.Please indicate your age below? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
18 to 24...... / / 55 to 64...... /
25 to 34...... / / 65 to 74...... /
35 to 44...... / / 75 and over...... /
45 to 54...... /
Q16.What is your current employment status? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Work part-time...... / / Looking after family/home...... /
Work full-time...... / / Permanently sick/disabled...... /
Retired ...... / / In full-time education...... /
Registered unemployed...... / / Something else...... /
Q17.To which of these groups do you consider you belong? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
White – British /English/ Welsh/ Scottish/ Northern Irish / / Asian or Asian British – Indian...... /
White – Irish...... / / Asian or Asian British – Pakistani...... /
White – Gypsy or Irish Traveller...... / / Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi...... /
White – Other...... / / Asian or Asian British – Chinese...... /
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean...... / / Asian or Asian British – Other...... /
Mixed – White and Black African...... / / Black or Black British – African...... /
Mixed – White and Asian...... / / Black or Black British – Caribbean...... /
Mixed – Other ...... / / Black or Black British – Other ...... /
Arab...... / / Prefer not to say...... /
Other (PLEASE CROSS AND WRITE IN BELOW) /
Q18Do you consider yourself to have a disability under the Equality Act definition?
The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as: “A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out day-to-day activities”. (Long term in this definition is taken to mean more than 12 months). This definition also includes long term illness such as cancer and HIV or mental health. PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Yes...... / / No...... /
Q19Do you receive Disability Living Allowance? PLEASE CROSS ONE BOX ONLY
Yes...... / / No...... /
Thank you for taking the time to comment on this consultation. Please return this questionnaire by 31 October 2013 in the freepost envelope provided.
Data Protection Act
Chiltern District Council is the Data Controller and has a legal duty to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. The information about you collected by the Council will only be used in connection with this survey and in an effort to introduce its own Council Tax Reduction Scheme and any other lawful purpose with which we must comply. The information will not be shared with any third party and will not be used for any marketing purposes. For further information please contact: The Data Protection Officer - 01494 732006 or visit: www.chiltern.gov.uk
BMG ID
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