Agenda item

Council is asked to agree the local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2024/25.

TO FOLLOW

Cllr Leaver moved, and Cllr Ergin Erbil seconded the report of the Executive Director - Resources on the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2024/25. This report was in the supplementary agenda.

Cllr Leaver introduced the report. The context to the proposed decisions was highlighted. Enfield had consistently maintained a Council Tax Support Scheme which was one of the highest in London but projected future costs had necessitated the proposed revisions. An extensive consultation process had been run, details and results of which were set out in the report. The proposal to increase the Discretionary Hardship fund was highlighted, and the Greater London Authority (GLA) had now confirmed £550k funding for the Council Tax Hardship Scheme, which will now be jointly funded by the GLA and the Council in this first year and would remain at £1.5m. Members expressed that this was a difficult decision to take but would assist with necessary savings. One third of households in the borough would still receive some form of support, and a consistent approach would be taken in a fair and transparent system.

The Opposition expressed sorrow and anger that the Administration proposed to cut the support to around 31,000 households. Those negatively impacted were mainly residents who could least afford it, in the East of the borough in Labour-held wards, and groups including disabled people and single parents. Residents had raised their concerns in the consultation process that they would face poverty and stress, and they would prefer no change in the scheme. There was concern that no transitional arrangements had been proposed. Cllr Gregory raised discussions at Enfield Learning Disabilities Partnership Board and asked for an officer to be allocated as contact for advice and help to those with special needs, and their carers. This request was welcomed by Cllr Leaver and would be actioned.

A recorded vote was requested by Cllr Georgiou, and another 11 members of the Council having stood in support of the request, the report was then agreed following a recorded vote detailed below:

For:

Cllr Abdul Abdullahi

Cllr Josh Abey

Cllr Nicki Adeleke

Cllr Gunes Akbulut

Cllr Mahmut Aksanoglu

Cllr Nawshad Ali

Cllr Kate Anolue

Cllr Chinelo Anyanwu

Cllr Mahym Bedekova

Cllr Alev Cazimoglu

Cllr Mustafa Cetinkaya

Cllr Hivran Dalkaya

Cllr Guney Dogan

Cllr Elif Erbil

Cllr Ergin Erbil

Cllr Susan Erbil

Cllr Margaret Greer

Cllr Ayten Guzel

Cllr Nelly Gyosheva

Cllr Ahmet Hasan

Cllr Chris James

Cllr Rick Jewell

Cllr Doris Jiagge

Cllr Tim Leaver

Cllr Ahmet Oykener

Cllr Sabri Ozaydin

Cllr George Savva

Cllr Doug Taylor

Cllr Eylem Yuruk

Against:

Cllr Maria Alexandrou

Cllr Lee Chamberlain

Cllr Chris Dey

Cllr Hannah Dyson

Cllr Peter Fallart

Cllr Reece Fox

Cllr Alessandro Georgiou

Cllr Pat Gregory

Cllr James Hockney

Cllr Stephanos Ioannou

Cllr Chris Joannides

Cllr Joanne Laban

Cllr Andy Milne

Cllr Elisa Morreale

Cllr Tom O’Halloran

Cllr Paul Pratt

Cllr Michael Rye

Cllr Julian Sampson

Cllr Ruby Sampson

Cllr David Skelton

Cllr Edward Smith

Cllr Jim Steven

Cllr Emma Supple

Cllr Andrew Thorp

AGREED:

I. Council agreed the revised Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2024/25 at Appendix A including:

i. Restricting council tax support to a maximum Band C council tax liability.

ii. Introducing a minimum non-dependant deduction for most households with other adults living in the property and increasing the current deductions by 20% as set out in the report.

iii. Standardising the minimum payment for most working age claimants at 50% (excluding war widows and single people under 25 including care leavers).

II. Council agreed to increase the Discretionary Hardship fund by £1m.

III. Council agreed the Council Tax Support Hardship Policy attached as Appendix E in the report.

IV. Council agreed that authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Resources, to make consequential changes to the Support Scheme and the Hardship Policy in order to effectively implement the decisions of the Council in respect of the Support Scheme and the Hardship Policy.