Under Government-implemented welfare reform changes Council Tax Benefit was abolished from April 2013 and councils had to develop a Council Tax Support scheme.
Lancaster City Council chose to maintain the same level of support that
customers had been receiving for the financial year 2013/14, but this could be for one year only.
From April 2014, the City Council needs to design a scheme to meet the needs of the local area, and has begun to survey local people for their views on this.
The Council says the impact on the most vulnerable claimants needs to be considered and the new scheme should encourage people to work and in particular should not act as a disincentive to working. Pensioners will not be affected by these changes.
The Council says it is committed to providing support to less well off residents
and ensuring that the people of the Lancaster district have the
opportunity to contribute and influence their decision making. The
consultation results will be used to shape the decision for a new
scheme.
• Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/counciltaxsupportreview to complete the online questionnaire by 14 October 2014