ORDERED that Executive:
1.
Approves the HSF delivery plan for
2024/25, which would be delivered between 1 October 2024 and 31 March 2025 and
was set out in Table 1 of the report to target the main groups below where each
has a Council Tax or rental liability for their home:
·
Families with children in receipt of
benefits. Pensioners in receipt of Council Tax Reduction but not eligible for
the Winter Fuel Payment.
·
Pensioners who are not in receipt of Council
Tax Reduction subject to the qualifying criteria (listed in table 1, para 4.7).
·
Singles/Couples which includes those of
pensionable age in receipt of benefits.
·
Application-based awards for residents not in
receipt of CTR or other benefits
2.
Approves that any remaining funds
following implementation of the delivery plan were allocated to Council Tax
accounts, with a then current award of CTR and where an outstanding balance
remained following the issue of a summons in the 2024/25 financial year. The
Council also reserved the right to widen the group to include those accounts
not in receipt of CTR. Priority would be given to taxpayers who did not receive
HSF from the allocation that remained in September 2024, with the intention
that the balances for those in each group would be reduced by the same extent
across both schemes so far as is possible.
3.
Approves that delegated authority is
provided to the Director of Finance to make any modifications or minor
revisions to the scheme and make decisions in respect of any remaining funds to
ensure they were distributed in line with the guidance and within the defined
timescales. Any revisions or modifications would be made in consultation with
the Executive Member for Finance and Governance.