5 September 2012 - East Devon District Council

*28 Recycling and Refuse Partnership Board (continued)
Cabinet, 11 July 2012
(4) that the Senior Contract Manager speaks to SITA’s Human
Resources department about implications of the Pension
Inclusion Scheme and reports back to the next Board
meeting.
REASON To progress the Recycling and Refuse initiative.
29 Localisation of Council Tax Benefit for working age customers –
Key decision
The Cabinet had considered a report on the Localisation of Council Tax Benefit at its
meeting on 4 April 2012 and acknowledged the scope of work that was required to
be carried out in order to have a scheme set up and in place by 31 January 2013.
The Cabinet had been advised that a Devon group of officers, initiated by the
Revenues and Benefits Manager, were working jointly on a Scheme design. The
Scheme was required to be cost neutral but with a 10% cut in funding overall. As
pensioners were to be protected in the Scheme with no reduction to their
entitlement, a greater burden would be placed on people of working age in East
Devon compared with other districts which had a lower proportion of elderly people.
The proposed scheme and consultation process had been discussed by the Finance
Think Tank
The report of the Revenues and Benefits Manager now before Cabinet was to update
Members on:
� The progress being made on developing a cost neutral Devon wide
framework for working age customers;
� The impact on the Council’s working age customers;
� The timescales and deadlines that must be met in order to get a scheme
adopted by 31 January 2013;
� Other council tax reforms.
Members were asked to consider –
� options for delivering a local council tax support scheme at a reduced cost in
line with Government funding whilst meeting key principles. (Options detailed
in the report included limiting liability, band restriction, reducing the capital
limit, removing second adult rebate and setting up a vulnerability/hardship
fund).
� the proposals of the Devon Project Group – working together to achieve a
Devon-wide approach;
� options to be included for consultation in order for a draft scheme to be
published.
The report advised that proposals would result in the Council collecting Council Tax
from customers who had not paid Council Tax before and collecting this, which could
potentially be only small amounts, would need to be resourced.
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