Cabinet Member for Finance
Decision:
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That Cabinet gave authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree the discretionary Council Tax Energy Policy, in accordance with the relevant Government guidelines.
1.2 That Cabinet gave authority to the Shared Revenues Partnership (SRP) Operations Manager to administer the scheme for the Council Tax Energy Rebate and the discretionary Council Tax Energy Policy.
REASON FOR DECISION
To provide support to households to pay energy bills.
To enable the implementation of the discretionary policy.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:
1.1 Option 1 – Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree the discretionary Council Tax Energy Policy, in accordance with the relevant Government guidelines.
A new policy can be introduced in a timely fashion for the discretionary element of the relief and applications can be invited from households.
2.2 Option 2 – Once the policy is drafted, it is brought back to Cabinet for consideration
Following Cabinet approval, the discretionary policy can be implemented, and applications invited.
Any Declarations of Interests Declared: None
Any Dispensation Granted: None
Minutes:
105.1 The Chain invited the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Barrett to introduce the report.
105.2 Councillor Barrett provided a brief summary of the Council Tax Energy Rebate and proposed the recommendations, as detailed in the report.
105.3 Councillor Ward seconded the recommendations.
105.4 Councillor Arthey was concerned for the discretionary element of the recommendations.
105.5 Councillor Busby queried the payment timeline for the Council Tax Energy Rebate and the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources clarified the circumstances for the receipts for the Government funding and the payment dates.
105.6 Councillor Osborne asked for details for the discretionary part of the rebate payments and the SRP Operations Manager stated that the payment of £150 would be paid to around 950 households and that there was a small discretionally fund available for additional rebates.
105.7 In response to questions from other Members attending the meeting the SRP Operations Officer detailed the methods applied by the Council to identify primary residents in the area and how they would receive the rebate of £150. The determination of holiday homes registered, as a main residence, would depend on data matching however, the Council did not have access to data outside the area. The Council was reliant on the information provided by customers, such a matching electoral roll registrations with council tax payments and against those registered as paying the full council tax charges. In addition, the Government was undertaking work around records matching and multiple payments to account holders across the country.
105.8 During the debate Councillor Arthey raised his concern for the criteria for the discretionary scheme and that Cabinet should provide a steer on the scheme before it being implemented. He proposed an amended recommendation for 3.1 to be replaced by Option 2 in the report.
105.9 Councillor Osborne seconded the proposed amendment.
105.10 Members debated the amendment and some Members thought that the proposed amendment would delay the distribution of funding and over complicate the process required to implement the scheme to residents, who were in need of assistance.
105.11 The Monitoring Officer provided procedural advice on how to proceed with the proposed amendment.
105.12 Upon the advice received from the Monitoring Officer the Cabinet Member for Finance stated that the Option 2 proposal was too bureaucratic to achieve the overall goal of providing financial assistance to residents, and he reassured Members that he would follow the steer from Cabinet in relation to payments from the discretionary scheme.
105.13 Councillor Arthey stated that he was satisfied that as long as the Cabinet Member for Finance followed the steer provided by Members of the Cabinet, he would withdraw his proposal for an amendment, which was supported by the seconder, Councillor Osborne.
105.14 Councillor Holt asked that the SRP Operations Officer and the Cabinet Member for Finance put the details of the Discretionary Scheme before Members in due course.
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That Cabinet gave authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree the discretionary Council Tax Energy Policy, in accordance with the relevant Government guidelines.
1.2 That Cabinet gave authority to the Shared Revenues Partnership (SRP) Operations Manager to administer the scheme for the Council Tax Energy Rebate and the discretionary Council Tax Energy Policy.
REASON FOR DECISION
To provide support to households to pay energy bills.
To enable the implementation of the discretionary policy.
Supporting documents: