Public consultation on the proposals for the new Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS) for West Northamptonshire will go live for a six-week period, beginning on Monday 2nd November, until midnight on Sunday 13th December 2020. The final scheme will be agreed by the West Shadow Executive Committee on 26th January 2021.

Residents and stakeholders across Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire, along with countywide stakeholders, will be invited to have their say on the proposed changes to the LCTRS. The schemes provide a reduction for working-age people and households on low incomes, to help them pay their council tax bill. There are individual schemes in place for Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire, which are administered by the councils in each area.

Each council currently offers a different level of support through their LCTRS, but on 1st April 2021, the formation of West Northamptonshire Council means that the existing three schemes need to be brought together into one scheme which is affordable, consistent and fair to all residents wherever they live; not only for those that receive support but also for those who depend on wider services.

Currently, the minimum Council Tax contribution that working age people must pay ranges from 8.5% to 31% across the three Councils. One proposal to bring the schemes together is for the minimum contribution to be set at 26.5%, meaning a maximum discount of 73.5% would be offered through the new scheme. This proposal would make the scheme is broadly cost neutral to the new authority and place no additional cost on the wider taxpayer.  There are also another five proposals outlined in the consultation document.

Those of pensionable age are protected by the prescribed regulations set out by central government therefore will not be affected by the changes proposed to the LCTRS in West Northamptonshire, and will continue to receive the same level of support that they have been used to getting from their current council.

Full details about the scheme, how the proposals were developed and the other options considered, along with the consultation questionnaire, are available online here: