Burnley Council reviews council tax support

The council is proposing to set the level of subsidy for eligible working age claimants up to a maximum of 95% in 2024/25, and 90% in 2025/26, to help alleviate some of the financial hardship caused by the current national cost-of-living crisis.

A report on the proposed changes will be discussed by the council’s executive on September 20th.

An eight-week public consultation would be launched on September 25th to get local people’s views which will be used to guide the final recommendations which would be put to the full council for decision in February 2024 as part of the process for agreeing the 2024/25 budget.

There are currently 9,698 households in the borough claiming council tax support, of which 70% (6,814) are people of working age.

Up until this financial year working age claimants received a subsidy of up to 85% on their council tax bill. In 2023/24 the council temporarily increased that subsidy to 100% for the current financial year only, and had planned to restore the level back to 85% from April 2024. The proposed changes would extend the period of extra support, with a return to the 85% level in April 2026 instead.

The cost to the council would be approximately £120,000 in total which would be paid from its cost of living reserve fund.

Coun. Sue Graham, the council’s deputy leader and executive member for resources and performance management, said: “The aim is to continue to offer extra support to some of our most vulnerable residents who are struggling to make ends meet through the cost of living crisis, by reducing their council tax bills.

“We know that everyone is finding it hard at the moment but the poorest people in our borough are struggling to put food on the table or heat their homes and we feel that continuing this support for another two years is the right thing to do given the current circumstances.”

The national government has determined how far district councils such as Burnley can increase the level of council tax. Last year’s proposed budget saw Burnley Council working to the limit set nationally, which meant an increase in household council tax bills of 1.99%.