Somerset Council leader Bill Revans says he will not make any changes lightly

Low income households could pay more council tax in Somerset: Have your say

Tait ap EllisJuly 24, 20240 Comment0

PEOPLE on low incomes in Somerset could start paying more council tax – as cash-strapped Somerset Council looks to save money.

A consultation has been launched asking for residents’ views on a number of proposals to change the council tax reduction scheme – including a reduction in the maximum available discount, from 100% to 75%.

The scheme benefits 32,241 people in the county, at a cost of around £29 million a year.

Somerset Council says the proposed changes could save up to £6.4m a year if all proposals to alter the scheme are approved.

The proposed changes would only apply to working age adults – the support provided for pensioners would not be affected – for example, with the discount for a couple with two children and a weekly income of £500 reduced from 25% to 10%.

The council says it initially planned to consult on changes that could save the council £12.1m a year. However, following a debate last week, it was agreed to remove two proposals from the consultation.

In November last year, the council declared a financial emergency amid a £100m funding gap, and is on track for a budget overspend of more than £100m for 2025/26.

In response, it launched a raft of proposals to make savings, including making around 1,000 staff redundant and potentially selling off landmark buildings to help plug the funding gap.

Leader of the council, Cllr Bill Revans (Lib Dem, North Petherton), said he does not take such decisions lightly.

“We fully recognise and appreciate the value of Council Tax Reduction to those on low incomes – in fact one of our first decisions as a unitary council was to harmonise this support for everyone across the county,” he said.

“However, the national model of funding local government is broken. The costs of providing key demand-led services have risen sharply and we have limited ways to raise income.

“Without national intervention, this means we have no choice but to consider all available options to reduce spending.

“But we will not do this lightly and it’s really important that people understand the changes being proposed and have their say so we can consider every impact before any decisions are made.”

You can find out more about the proposals and take part in the consultation at https://somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/comms/ctr.

It opens today (July 24) and will run until October 1, with any decisions taking place later in the year and any changes coming into effect from April 1, 2025.

Paper copies will also be available in libraries and letters will be sent by post to all those who currently receive council tax reduction support.