The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Introduction
On January 17, 2025, the UK Parliament passed the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. These regulations amend the existing Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2012, which set out the minimum requirements that local authorities in England must meet when administering their Council Tax Reduction Schemes.
Key Changes
The key changes introduced by the new regulations include:
- Increased income disregard: The regulations increase the income disregard for working-age claimants from 5% to 10%. This means that claimants will be able to keep more of their earnings before their Council Tax Reduction is calculated.
- Extension of the severe disability premium: The regulations extend the severe disability premium to people who are terminally ill. This premium provides additional support to people with severe disabilities or who are terminally ill.
- Removal of the benefit cap: The regulations remove the benefit cap for Council Tax Reduction claimants. This means that claimants will no longer be limited in the amount of Council Tax Reduction they can receive.
Impact of the Changes
The changes introduced by the new regulations are expected to have a significant impact on Council Tax Reduction claimants in England. The increased income disregard will mean that more people will be eligible for Council Tax Reduction and those who are eligible will receive more support. The extension of the severe disability premium will provide additional support to people with severe disabilities or who are terminally ill. The removal of the benefit cap will mean that more people will be able to afford to pay their Council Tax.
Implementation
The new regulations came into force on April 1, 2025. Local authorities in England are required to implement the changes by this date.
Conclusion
The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 are a significant change to the way that Council Tax Reduction is administered in England. The changes are expected to have a positive impact on claimants, particularly those with low incomes, severe disabilities, or who are terminally ill.
The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The AI has provided us with the news.
I’ve asked Google Gemini the following question, and here’s its response.
UK New Legislation a new article on 2025-01-17 14:16 titled “The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025”. Please write a detailed article on this news item, including any relevant information. Answers should be in English.
92