Proposed changes to Council Tax Reduction Scheme set to benefit thousands of low-income households

Wandsworth Council is proposing improvements to the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) Scheme which will help thousands more residents in the borough.

The CTR scheme reduces Council Tax bills for households on low incomes. The proposed change will reduce the impact of income fluctuations within a household, be clearer and easier to understand for residents and to protect the most vulnerable residents by reducing bills.

The proposals are part of Wandsworth Council’s overall response to the Cost of Living crisis. Alongside the proposal, the Council has frozen the main element of Council Tax this year and launched a £10 million fund, the biggest in London, committed to help residents with soaring bills. 

Angela Ireland, Cabinet Member for Finance, said that this year the CTR scheme reduced bills to zero for almost ten thousand vulnerable households.

“We want to build on that and make sure our scheme is future proofed to enable more people to plan ahead with their money whilst also having trust in the council that we are here to help them when it matters.

“This consultation will give the people of Wandsworth a good opportunity to help shape the Council Tax Reduction Scheme moving forward and we encourage residents to have their say.

“We want to look after those most vulnerable in our community by making the process more transparent and simpler to understand, whilst providing additional support to households who are financially vulnerable.

“By doing this, we will continue to take steps towards becoming a fairer and more compassionate borough.

“We hope the outcome of the consultation will give residents certainty and protection of current support levels.”

The proposals are open for public feedback until 15 November 2023.

Take part in the consultation