£14m council tax exemption scheme backed

Over 11,000 low-income households in Herefordshire will not have to pay council tax, for the fifth year running.

A full budget meeting of county councillors today (February 7) backed continuing to set the council tax reduction scheme at 100 per cent.

The number of claimants under the scheme, both pensioners and of working age, has remained broadly the same over the past 12months, to now stand at 6,524 working-age households and 4,811 pensioners.

The value of council tax forgone under the scheme is £14.8 million, slightly more than a tenth of the full expected council tax take in the coming financial year of £146.5 million.

The council’s Cabinet member for finance Coun Pete Stoddart told fellow councillors that a public consultation in November and December found “clear support for continuing discount for council tax for those most in need”.

The scheme “will minimise the debt burden on residents who struggle to pay their council tax”, he added.

With no opposition from councillors, leader of the council Jonathan Lester said: “This is a very necessary scheme which has been used to great effect in the past, and we should continue with the full setting of 100 per cent.”

This gained the unanimous support of councillors of all parties.