Bridgend County Borough Council has agreed to adopt a Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023-2024, which includes a discretionary element to ensure eligible residents can receive as much support as possible.
Council tax reduction provides assistance to those on low incomes, who are liable to pay council tax. Residents who are struggling to pay bills such as this, are encouraged to contact the council for an assessment to see if they qualify for any support.
The Council Tax Reduction Scheme has been developed by Welsh Government and local authorities are required to include several mandatory elements and to adopt any discretionary aspects by 31 January 2023.
Welsh Government have not made many significant changes to the required elements and depending on individual circumstances, eligible residents can still claim 100% council tax reduction. The new scheme will begin on 1 April 2023.
The changes set by Welsh Government include:
- Protection for hosts who are part of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
- Ukrainian nationals are now eligible for council tax reduction if they meet the criteria.
- European Economic Area (EEA) citizens, who are now subject to immigration control, are no longer eligible to be included in the scheme.
The council has also agreed to include a discretionary element to its Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which will see War Disablement Pensions and War Widows Pensions disregarded when calculating council tax reduction entitlement. This is expected to cost the council around £7,000.
I welcome the approval of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023-2024 and it’s pleasing that the maximum level of support remains at 100% for eligible claimants, particularly during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
I would like to remind residents that the council are here to help. If anyone is struggling with their council tax bills, they should contact the council to find out if they are eligible for any support.
Councillor Hywel Williams, Cabinet Member for Resources
