Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the Council Tax Support Scheme.

The committee considered the report which provided an update on the Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme and the approach for potential future changes. Members noted that no changes were proposed for the 2026/27 financial year due to statutory constraints and the significant modelling and consultation required for any revisions.

The committee noted that CTS schemes could not be amended mid-year and that preparatory work would be undertaken during 2026/27 to model potential changes, including adjustments to banding and income disregards, with a view to informing decisions for the 2027/28 financial year.

The committee was advised that Cheshire East’s current scheme offered up to 80% support, placing it above the national average but not among the most generous. Opportunities for reform were outlined and the legal risks associated with any changes were highlighted, particularly the need  for robust equality impact assessments and compliance with legal statutory requirements to inform evidence-based decision-making.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Corporate Policy Committee

1. Agree to review the Council’s CTS scheme during 2026-27, and direct a further report to enable this to come to the first meeting of the relevant decision making Committee (be that this Committee or Executive Cabinet) in the 2026- 27 Municipal Year.