Council tax support scheme extended in Teignbridge
It is so local residents do not get hit if there are any future Government one-off benefit changes
Teignbridge councillors have unanimously agree to extend their council tax support scheme to help those hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday’s full council meeting saw them unanimously agree to update it council tax reduction scheme so that local residents don’t get hit if there are any future Government one-off benefit changes, such as the £20 uplift for Universal Credit.
Teignbridge District Council provides a 100 per cent council tax reduction scheme for those in greatest need, the only council in Devon to give this full support.
And in updating their policy, the council agreed that they would automatically offset the £20 Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit uplift when assessing claims for council tax reduction, or any other one-off benefits, to avoid the ‘Kafkaesque’ scenario of some of the poorest getting an uplift in benefits only for it to be mean they no longer quality for the full support.
"Our team need to be congratulated for caring for the people who desperately need help. We have seen the poorest suffer the most because of the economic downturn due to Covid and this council is doing its bit to look after those less fortunate due to Covid.
"It would be Kafkaesque if people were given the £20 uplift from Government only for the council to then have to take it back."
Councillor David Cox
And a motion calling for the Government to help local families by making permanent the universal credit £20 uplift offered during the pandemic was also put forward by Cllr Cox.
His motion asked for the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Members of Parliament serving Teignbridge to call for the retention of the £20 Universal credit uplift, saying that retaining the £20 Universal Credit uplift will support the wider economic recovery and cutting support for those on the lowest incomes will reduce demand in the economy at a time when we are trying to secure a recovery.
The £20-a-week uplift was brought in last year to help vulnerable families suffering the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown which resulted, but is currently set to end in March 2021 and there has been no confirmation as to whether it will be extended or not.
As per the procedure of the council, his motion was referred to the executive for consideration, before returning to full council at a later date for a decision to be made.