Council Tax Support scheme consultation

Council Tax is a charge which is usually paid by the people living in the property. The full charged assumes that there are at least two adults living in the property. If there is only one occupant in the home, they may be eligible for a 25% discount. There are exemptions and discounts for properties that are empty or occupied by certain people. 

Any adult who is under the age of 66. 

The current pension age in the UK is 66 years old for both men and women. 

No. The Council Tax Support scheme for people of pension age is set by central Government, so the proposed changes do not affect pension age households.  

 Will the proposed changes mean I will have to pay more or less Council Tax?We are considering options that lead to those on the lowest incomes paying less while those with the resources to do so might be asked to pay a bit more. 

If you are experiencing difficulties, please make early contact with the Council Tax department. If you talk to us, we will do our best to ensure you're getting the right support and to agree with you on an affordable payment plan. 
Your annual council tax bill will usually be spread over 10 monthly instalments. We might be able to spread this over 12 monthly instalments if you contact us.  

For more details about this, visit our website.

• Help with paying Counci Tax

The Council operates a dedicated section 13a 1 c (hardship fund) policy to support those in the greatest need. The Council will aim to provide households with the right support and agree where possible, affordable payment plans. Try our benefit calculator to see  if you might be entitled to other benefits or more support online.

If your or your partners (if you have one) earnings changes, you could stay within the same band or move up or down a band. This outcome depends on how near your weekly earnings is to the next band and how much earnings changes by. 

The amount of Council Tax Support could change more significantly than under the current scheme. We believe this disadvantage is counter-balanced by the increased flexibility that a banded system offers, by allowing and encouraging households to increase their income within their current band without reducing their Council Tax Support.

A letter will tell you of your Council Tax Support award and details of how it has been calculated. You will also be issued a revised Council Tax bill. 

Yes. If you receive Council Tax Support and have a change in circumstances since your last award, you must tell us. Examples of a change in circumstance could be a person may have moved in or out of your property, or you may have had an increase in your household’s income, savings or capital.

You can ask for a revision of the decision. You will need to tell us the reasons why you think your Council Tax Support is wrong and provide any relevant supporting documents.  

If you still do not agree with our decision after we have looked at your revision request, you can submit an appeal which will be looked at by the Valuation Tribunal, who are independent to the council. 

Council Tax Support is paid for by every taxpayer in Runnymede so it’s important you still get involved and have your say, regardless of whether you receive it or not. 

We are keen for all interested parties to have the chance to tell us their views as we look at spending and budgets for next year (2025/26). Proposed changes could affect you even if you do not receive Council Tax Support, as it may mean either paying more Council Tax or cuts to local services. 

The proposal to change the Council Tax Support scheme is from the start of the financial year 2025/26. If any changes to the scheme are applied, they will take effect from 1 April 2025.  

As is the case for most years, the amounts for income, benefits, applicable amounts and council tax change, regardless of the proposed changes covered by this consultation. So, although the examples cannot confirm exactly how much council tax someone is likely to pay in 2025/26, they are intended to show the potential impact of the changes to the scheme. 

In our current scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, we ignore small changes in income. If the amount of Council Tax Support would increase or decrease by less than £3.25 each week, then there is no change to the amount of Council Tax support paid.

This prevents monthly recalculations of Council Tax Support as Universal Credit changes in each assessment period.

The cost of providing Council Tax support is split across Runnymede Borough Council, Surrey County Council and Surrey Police.  Runnymede Borough Council will need to decide how to pay for any additional Council Tax Support scheme it provides. See the table of costs for more information.

This could come from reserves. This is money set aside to meet urgent issues and future demands on services. Reserves are limited and can only be spent once. 

The cost could be spread across all taxpayers through an increase in Council Tax or by making cuts in other services the council provides. 
The final option is to reduce other elements of Council Tax Support in order to pay for the increases. 

Non-dependants are certain adults who live with you who are aged 21 or over but are not liable for paying rent under a formal arrangement.
Non-dependant deductions are reductions in Council Tax Support for some adults who normally live in your home. Non-dependants are usually expected to contribute something towards your household bills including any rent and council tax. 

A charge is taken from the award of Council Tax Support, depending on the income of the non-dependant.