About this survey
Did you know that Council Tax Support affects all council taxpayers in Liverpool, including those who do not receive it?
Council Tax Support is a discount which helps households on low incomes with their council tax bill. Around a third of households in Liverpool are in receipt of Council Tax Support. It is a discount that affects the amount of council tax the Council receives and has an impact on the amount of council tax that all households in the city pay. As it is considered best practice to review Council Tax Support Schemes periodically, the Council is proposing to change its scheme and we need your views.
Liverpool's Council Tax Support Scheme has not changed since it started in 2013. It is complicated to understand, does not allow households to budget for income changes and is costly to administer, impacting other services. Welfare benefits have changed over the last 11 years and the council has not kept up with these changes. We need a scheme that supports those on the lowest income, empowers residents to budget, is easy to understand, provides incentives for people moving into work, and is future proofed.
There are two Council Tax Support Schemes. A national scheme with rules set by central government, for those of pensionable age. And another scheme for those of working-age where the rules are set locally. Liverpool City Council's current working-age scheme is means tested and entitlement is calculated by comparing the money coming into a household with the amount the Government says the household needs to live on.
The proposals set out in this consultation will only affect working-age people who get Council Tax Support. People of pensionable age will not be affected, as they come under different rules.
Part of Liverpool City Council's aim, through its proposed changes, is to simplify the rules so that people know how much their council tax bill will be reduced by, enabling them to budget. The proposed changes will also align with Universal Credit and provide some certainty for people moving into or out of work, whilst continuing to provide support to those that need it most.
What happens to my views?
The information gathered in this survey will only be viewed and held by the Director and Head of Transactional Services in Liverpool City Council. Responses will be summarised in a report, and used to inform the council and cabinet on the public's view of these proposed changes. A final decision on the changes will be made in January 2025. The results will also be published on the council's website, but no personal details or comments will be included. All data will be held securely and destroyed after a period of 12 months.
The closing date for this survey is Monday 14th October 2024.
If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact counciltaxsupportsurvey@liverpool.gov.uk.
Please note than an asterisk (*) indicates that the question must be answered. You will need to complete all required questions before you can move onto the next page or submit the survey.