Council consults on changes to Council Tax Benefit

The Government is planning to abolish the current Council Tax Benefit scheme from April 2013 and replace it with local schemes run by councils.

The Government has also announced that the funding available for Council Tax Support will be reduced by at least 10%, giving councils less money to pay for the new schemes.

All current working age claimants will be affected by the changes, however, pensioners will be protected and their benefits will not be affected.

To help develop a scheme for Spelthorne, Spelthorne Council has launched a consultation to gauge views on a range of different options.

The consultation, which will involve interested parties such as residents' associations, voluntary groups and existing claimants, will run until 30 November and residents are encouraged to take part by completing the questionnaire.

Paper copies of the questionnaire are available from the Council Offices, Libraries, Day Centres, and Health Centres or by calling Customer Services on 01784 451499.

Cllr Tim Evans, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources said: "This is the most significant change to the Council Tax Benefit scheme since its inception and it is vital that residents let us know their views on how they would like to see the new arrangements work in Spelthorne. We want to create a scheme that is as fair as possible and in line with the needs of our community and the feedback from this consultation will be vital in helping us achieve that."

For more information call Customer Services on 01784 451499.