The Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 2024
Introduction
The Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 2024 (the Regulations) were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 31 October 2024 and came into force on 1 November 2024. The Regulations amend the Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (the 2013 Regulations) to make changes to the eligibility criteria and calculation of council tax reduction (CTR) for certain groups of people.
Key Changes
The key changes introduced by the Regulations are as follows:
- Extension of eligibility to care leavers
Care leavers aged 18 to 25 will now be eligible for CTR regardless of their income or capital. This means that care leavers will no longer have to meet the normal eligibility criteria for CTR, which includes a means test and a capital limit.
- Removal of the “severe disability” requirement for disabled people
Disabled people who are not in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA) or attendance allowance (AA) will no longer need to meet the “severe disability” requirement to be eligible for CTR. This means that a wider range of disabled people will be able to access CTR, regardless of the severity of their disability.
- Increase in the income disregard for working carers
The income disregard for working carers will be increased from £2,000 to £2,500 per year. This means that working carers will be able to earn more money before their CTR is reduced.
- Changes to the calculation of CTR for certain groups of people
The Regulations also make changes to the way that CTR is calculated for certain groups of people, including:
* Care leavers * Disabled people * Working carers * People in receipt of housing benefit These changes will ensure that these groups of people receive a fairer level of CTR.
Impact of the Changes
The changes introduced by the Regulations are expected to have a positive impact on the following groups of people:
- Care leavers
- Disabled people
- Working carers
- People in receipt of housing benefit
The changes will make it easier for these groups of people to access CTR and will help to reduce their council tax bills.
Conclusion
The Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 2024 are a welcome step forward in making CTR fairer and more accessible for people in Scotland. The changes introduced by the Regulations will help to reduce council tax bills for care leavers, disabled people, working carers, and people in receipt of housing benefit.
The Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 2024
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