The Council Tax Reduction scheme (CTRS) is the way we help people on low incomes pay their council tax bill.
Under the current scheme, the council provides a discount to eligible working age households of up to 88% of their council tax bill (meaning that recipients of a full discount are only responsible for paying 12% of the bill).
The amount of support a household can get through the CTRS is determined by a ‘means test’ – this means we look at the income and capital or savings of your household.
At the moment, the CTR scheme within Salford helps around 26,000 households on a low income to pay their council tax. Of these, 8,200 are pensioner households and their eligibility is calculated using the national scheme. 17,800 households are of working age and their eligibility is calculated using Salford’s Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
Each year the city council must decide whether to change the CTRS for working age applicants in its area with pension age applicants seeing no changes as they are part of the national scheme.
Councils are required to review their schemes each year and decide if they want to make any changes. Before any changes can be implemented, they must be subject to public consultation.
As the council is proposing changes to the existing scheme it has a duty to consult you and provide you with the opportunity to tell us your views on the proposed changes.
Working age households in Salford who currently receive or will apply for Council Tax Reduction.
Pension age households will not be affected as Central Government prescribes their scheme.
The council feels that it is essential that the scheme is made more flexible and low income households are supported as much as possible at this time.
The consultation will run from Friday 11 November to midnight Friday 16 December 2022.
The information collected from this consultation will be used by the council to assist in making its decision on the changes to the CTR scheme from 1 April 2023.