A consultation on planned changes to a council tax support scheme is under way in the west Cheshire area.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has said the changes will affect about 15 per cent of claimants, with about six per cent potentially receiving a cut in support, albeit protected with transitional funding. About 1,000 households would be expected to receive an increase in levels of support.

The changes would affect the Council Tax Support Scheme for Working Age Claimants who are on low incomes. There will be no changes to the Pension Age Scheme.

Residents are being consulted on the proposed changes over the next six weeks.

The scheme would continue to award up to a 100 per cent reduction to Council Tax bills for protected groups (including war pensioners of working age, carers, disabled adults and children in receipt of specific benefits) and maintain a maximum award of 75 percent to non-protected groups.

Councillor Carol Gahan, Cabinet Member for Legal and Finance said, “By aligning new rules with Universal Credit, the proposed scheme will be simpler to understand. It will mean that people won’t need to make duplicate applications and will receive fewer amended bills throughout the year, making it easier for them to budget.

“The proposed changes will be easier to administer overall, freeing up staff time to focus on supporting vulnerable residents.

“Alongside the scheme, the council will be embarking on a project to ensure residents are maximising their benefit entitlement. We will be reviewing adversely impacted cases in advance of the bills being issued to ensure applicants are receiving the correct awards.”

The consultation consists of workshops and discussions with voluntary organisations, key partners and representative groups, and a survey (which will be available online and in paper format to all council tax payers.)

A final decision on the scheme will be taken by full council in December and any changes would come into effect in April 2025. Following the consultation, there would be a dedicated phone line to provide information and advice to people impacted by any changes.