Extension of full Council Tax relief scheme to leave close to 4,700 West Suffolk residents better off following council approval

The extension of a relief scheme exempting residents from paying Council Tax has been approved leaving close to 4,700 better off.

Yesterday evening, members of West Suffolk's cabinet unanimously approved the extension of the authority's Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS).

Cllr Diane Hind, the council's lead for resources, said extending the scheme for another year was especially important during current financial times.

She added: "It was about helping people [during Covid] and it is about helping people now with cost-of-living difficulties, it isn't just young people, it's everybody who can be in this bracket.

"This scheme helps everybody who qualifies and is genuinely on a very low income — we're talking about people on a range of means-tested benefits who need help with their Council Tax."

The LCTRS has been in place in some form since 2014 and was expanded ahead of the 2023/24 financial year to allow struggling residents to be exempt from paying up to 100 per cent, or a £103 discount, of their Council Tax.

The council considered decreasing the relief to just 91.5 per cent but concluded the £48,831 saving could be outweighed by 4,676 residents potentially falling through the cracks.

Cllr Hind said: “It’s part of the wider work we are carrying out to support residents — by providing additional support to those residents most in need, the aim is to avoid crisis situations.”

Council papers confirmed there would be other cost implications totalling £469,329 as those eligible would be exempt from paying the county council, adult social care, police, fire and parish Council Tax precepts.

Yesterday's unanimous decision will be presented to all councillors during next Tuesday's full council meeting for final sign-off.