Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme

There are important changes being made to Council Tax Reduction (CTR) from 1 April 2025 for working age people (people aged 18 to 65).

• Council Tax Reduction will be limited to a Band B liability for all residents who are of working age.
• Council Tax Reduction will be capped to a maximum of 85% of your eligible Council Tax liability and you will be required to pay at least 15% of your Council Tax bill, unless you have a child under the age of six.

What has changed? 

• Any household with someone living there aged between 18 and 65 who claims CTR, and who does not have a child under the age of six, will be required to pay at least 15% of their Council Tax liability from 1 April 2025. 
• If a household with a child under the age of six lives in a property in Council Tax band A or B, they will continue to receive up to 100% Council Tax Reduction until their child turns six years old. 
• If a household with a child under the age of six lives in a property in Council Tax Band C or above, because their liability will be capped at the Band B rate, they will still need to contribute towards their Council Tax bill.
• Pensioners (aged 66 and over) claiming CTR will continue to receive up to 100% Council Tax Reduction – they are not affected by the changes to the scheme. 

Why is it changing?

The council is having to make difficult decisions to meet our legal requirement to balance our budget. We recognise that times are difficult. But as a council we are under pressure to reduce our spending in many areas while continuing to support as many people as we can afford to. Demand for our services is growing, and the cost of running them continues to rise.

Although we are changing our Council Tax Reduction scheme, we will still be providing a generous scheme compared to most other councils across the country.