Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/2025 Equality Impact Assessment

Name of policies to be assessed

Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/2025

1. What is the main purpose of the policies?

Local Council Tax Support has been in place since 1st April 2013. The Local Council Tax Support scheme provides help to residents on a low income to meet their Council Tax payments. It supports residents by providing them with a reduction in their payable Council Tax.

Colchester City Council can determine the level of support for its working age residents only. The scheme for pension age residents is determined by central government.

Our current scheme - working age

Colchester City Council’s Local Council Tax Support Scheme has remained static since 2018/19. It is similar to schemes throughout Essex and mirrors Housing Benefit legislation to an extent.

The key factors of the current scheme are (working age):

• maximum entitlement of 80%
• minimum entitlement of £2.00 per week
• restricted to Band D equivalent
• £12.00 flat-rate non-dependant deduction
• capital limit £6,000

2. What main areas or activities does the policies cover?

• Support for payment of Council Tax

3. Are there changes to an existing policy being considered in this assessment?

Colchester City Council recommends one key change to the Local Council Tax Support scheme for 2023/24:

• Adopting a simplified ‘banded’ Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2024/25.

The proposal is currently out to public consultation (18 August - 29 September). The change, if made, would only apply to the working age scheme although the consultation will be open to all residents. 

Other changes being proposed include: 

• Introduction of a ‘protected’ band to support Colchester’s most vulnerable residents 
• Removal of the non-dependant deduction (£12 p/week)  
• Removal of the band D cap 
• Removal of the £2.00 minimum entitlement 
• Child Benefit to be disregarded 
• Discretionary backdating allowing staff to backdate further than 1 calendar month to give additional support to those who need it most 
• £25 per week earnings disregard for any working household 
• Capital limit to remain at £6,000 

4. Who are the main audience, users or customers who will be affected by the policy?

The main groups who will be affected by the policy are:

• residents in receipt of Local Council Tax Support
• future applicants of Local Council Tax Support
• taxpayers in the city

5. What outcomes does the council want to achieve from the policy?

• To reduce the admin costs associated with delivering Local Council Tax Support 
• To simplify the scheme and make it easier for residents to understand 
• Maximise support for disabled households 
• Reduce unnecessary customer contact 
• Reduce postage 
• Reskill staff in other areas to maximise revenue and savings 
• Improve recovery of Council Tax arrears 
• Customers have stability in their awards 

6. Are other service areas or partner agencies involved in delivery?

• No other areas involved in delivery

7. Relevant information, data, surveys or consultations¹

A public consultation is underway (18 August - 29 September). All responses will be analysed and will help to inform a decision on the suitability of the policy for 2024/25. 

8. The ‘general duty’

The ‘general duty’ states that we must have “due regard” to the need to:

1. eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
2. advance equality of opportunity between people who share a ‘protected characteristic²’ and those who do not³
3. foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not⁴

Not all policies help us to meet the ‘general duty’, but most do.

This policy helps us to meet the ‘general duty’ by:

• The policy has remained the same since 2018/19. Consideration has been given to the new scheme to ensure it does not unlawfully discriminate and, as previously, is based on an assessment of household income.
• The eligibility of Local Council Tax Support will continue to be based on a set criteria which will ensure that all applicants are considered in a fair and consistent way.
• The delivery of Local Council Tax Support has been extensively publicised to third party organisations such as the DWP (Department for Works and Pensions), social landlords and advice organisations. This has allowed for links to be made between Colchester City Council and these organisations to ensure support is given to residents throughout the city.

9. Disproportionate impacts

This section helps us to identify any disproportionate impacts. We will indicate whether the policy is likely to particularly benefit or disadvantage any of the 'protected characteristics'.

Where applicable, explain how this policy helps us to improve health/reduce health inequalities for residents:

•  Maximises support for disabled households under the ‘protected’ group. This will help to increase disposable income for those who need it most. 

Age - older people (60+) 

Positive impact

Working age customers will have stability in their awards, receive decisions faster and the scheme will be easier to understand. 

Pensioners will not be impacted by these changes. 

Negative impact

Residents could receive less support towards their Council Tax, but this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and any resident who is worse-off by more than £104 per year under the new scheme will receive protection for 2024/25. 

Any resident worse-off but by less than £104 per year can apply for additional support – this will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

The scheme has been designed in a way to minimise the amount of people who will receive less support. 

Age - younger people (17-25) and children (0-16) 

Positive impact

Customers will have stability in their awards, receive decisions faster and the scheme will be easier to understand. 

Negative impact

The same for age - older people (60+). 

Disability – physical

Positive impact

Customers will have stability in their awards, receive decisions faster and the scheme will be easier to understand. 

Any disabled resident will receive maximum support (80%) if they qualify under the ‘protected’ group. 

Negative impact

n/a

Disability – sensory, learning, mental health issues

Positive impact

The same for disability - physical

Ethnicity - White; Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups; Asian or Asian British; Black, Black British, Caribbean or African; Other ethnic group

n/a

Language – English not as a first language

n/a

Pregnancy and maternity - Women who are pregnant or have given birth in the last 26 weeks

n/a

Religion or belief - People with a religious belief (or none)

n/a

Sex – Men and Women

n/a

Gender reassignment - Transgender/Transsexual

n/a

Sexual Orientation – Straight/Heterosexual, Gay or Lesbian, Bisexual, Other sexual orientation

n/a

Marriage and Civil Partnership - People who are married or in a civil partnership

n/a

10. How negative impacts be minimised or removed?

• Any resident worse-off under the new scheme by £104 per year or more will be protected for 2024/25. 
• Any resident worse-off but by less than £104 can apply for additional support – this will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

11. Could the policy discriminate against any ‘protected characteristic’ either directly or indirectly?

No

Summary and findings of Initial Equality Impact Assessment

12. Confirmation of findings

Planned engagement has taken place:

Likely negative impacts have been identified but have been minimised or removed

Action of findings:

Consultation, Sign off screening and finish.

13. Name and job title of person completing this form

Adam Wood – Benefits and Support Manager

14. Date of completion

23 August 2023

15. Date for update or review of this screening

01 April 2024
 

• [1] The Council’s surveys and consultations include ‘equality monitoring information’ to help us identify any particular concerns or views expressed by any particular group or ‘protected characteristic’. It can also help us to assess how representative of our customers the respondent group is.
• [2] The Equality Act’s `protected characteristics’ include age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex and sexual orientation. It also covers marriage and civil partnerships, but not for all aspects of the duty.
• [3] This involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to: (a) remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a protected characteristic that are connected to that characteristic; (b) take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it, and (c) encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.
• [4] This involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to (a) tackle prejudice, and (b) promote understanding.