Consultation on Council Tax reduction

[admin]

Lewisham Press Release

Consultation on Council Tax reduction

The Council is now consulting on its Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2014/15, and also the additional support available to help certain vulnerable people to pay for their Council Tax.

In April 2013 the Government abolished the Council Tax Benefit scheme which helped those people with no or low income to pay their Council Tax. In its place the Council introduced its own local Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

The Government reduced the funding Lewisham Council gets for Council Tax Reduction by £3.2m and the Council had to make some difficult decisions about how to continue to support those people most in need.

The effect of passing on the cut during the current 2013/14 financial year has meant all working age residents having to pay an average of £2.71 extra Council Tax each week. If the scheme remains unchanged in 2014/15 as the Council proposes, it is likely that this amount will not change.

Before details of next year's scheme can be confirmed, the Council is consulting on its proposal to continue to pass on the government cut in grant to those of working age and continue to protect pensioners.

The Council welcomes the views of Lewisham residents and is conducting a short online survey at http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/counciltax.

Consultation opened on 3 October and closes at midnight on Sunday 3 November 2013.

[mosy]

Apols for the interruption. Does anyone know if there is a website calculator to check how much council tax one is supposed to be being charged? My bill was sent for year commencing April 2013 and shortly afterwards was adjusted upwards. It would be good to find out why, or at least to know it's right under whatever the current rules are. Thank you.

[ladybird]

I don't know of a calculator, but there is a council tax booklet, Size: 439.1kb
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/SiteCollecti ... ooklet.pdf

The info was found on this page http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/c ... fault.aspx