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Council Tax Support is Changing |
Last year we asked you what you thought about the changes to Council Tax Benefit and how working age claimants should be supported. Using the feedback you gave us, the Council developed a Council Tax Support Scheme, which was put in place from April 2013 and will run until 31 March 2014. Pensioners will still receive the same amount of support as they currently do and will continue to do so in the future too. |
We are now looking at how best to support people from 1 April 2014 and would like to know what you think. The scheme we are proposing is similar to the one we consulted on last year. This year the government will be giving us less money to provide Council Tax Support and some difficult decisions need to be made. Please answer the questions in the survey below before the end of Friday 4 October. The answers you give will help shape the new scheme. |
Find out more about the proposed changes |
What will we do with your answers? |
The Council will look at all the answers received and use these to help decide the final design of the new Council Tax Support scheme. We will also use the information to help complete an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA). |
Your views and ideas will form part of any recommendations we make. A meeting of all councillors will make the final decisions on how the scheme will be run in early December. |
The Council has already had made an 8.5% cut to the support we can give some people to help pay their Council Tax. Government requirements mean that we have to make further changes from April 2014. |
When we asked people about our proposed Council Tax Support scheme last year, most agreed that:
· Everyone should pay something towards their Council Tax bill
· People in properties with a higher Council Tax charge should be asked to pay more
· Other adults living in a home where the Council Tax payer claims Council Tax Support, should pay something towards the Council Tax bill
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Do you think that 20% is a fair amount for people who have a low income to pay towards their Council Tax bill?
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Do you agree that people who receive Council Tax Support who are in properties with a higher Council Tax charge be asked to pay more? |
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Do you agree that other adults living in a household where the Council Tax payer claims Council Tax Support, be asked to pay something towards the Council Tax bill? |
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Pensioners will continue to receive the same support with paying their Council Tax as they do now and won't be affected by any changes. |
When we asked people about our proposed Council Tax Support scheme last year, most agreed that:
· People with severe disabilities should be protected
· People who receive war pensions or war widows pensions should be protected
· The Council should create a Hardship Fund to support people suffering genuine hardship |
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Do you think that the severely disabled and war pensioners should still be protected from any cuts to the level of support available to them? |
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Do you think there are any other groups of people in the community who should be protected? |
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Should some people suffering genuine hardship, receive extra support to help them move onto the new Council Tax Support scheme? |
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Do you currently claim Council Tax Support? |
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Fareham Borough Council - Equality Monitoring |
Fareham Borough Council is committed to providing people with equal opportunities and eliminate unfair discrimination, both in the provision of service and in our role as a major employer. We want to collect information about people so that we can tailor our services to meet their needs and also make sure that we are not doing anything that stops people from having access to services, jobs or opportunities, and will change our policies and practices if that is what we need to do. |
We would be grateful if you would help us by completing the monitoring information on this form. Any personal information you give us is held securely and will be used only for council purposes in accordance with our data protection policy. If you are still unsure, the "why should I answer these questions" leaflet on the 'have your say' page at www.fareham.gov.uk may help. |
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Do you consider yourself to have a disability, or long-term illness, physical or mental health condition? |
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The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010 define a person as disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term effect (i.e. has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months) and has an adverse effect on the person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. |
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Your ethnic origin (These are based on the Census 2001 categories and are listed alphabetically) |
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Your religion |
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You can make a difference - join our E-Panel |
If you enjoyed telling the Council what you think then you might be interested in joining the Council's e-panel. If you are a resident of Fareham you can answer questions on a range of topics relevant to you and your local area. All you need to do to sign up is provide your name, email address and postcode (so that we can confirm you are a resident of Fareham). All the information you provide will be kept securely and used only for this purpose. |
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Thank you for telling us what you think. If you are online please click submit to complete the survey. You will then be redirected to www.fareham.gov.uk/consultations |
If you are completing a paper survey. Please return it to Fareham Borough Council, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7AZ by the end of Friday 4 October. |
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