Somerset Council have recently launched a consultation exercise on proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme for working age taxpayers in Somerset.

In November 2023, Somerset Council declared a financial emergency due to the increasing costs of providing many services, including social care.

To balance the budget they have had to review all areas of council spending to find savings. This included a decision to review who receives support, and how much support they receive, as part of the CTR scheme for 2025/26.

The proposes for the new scheme include:

• Reducing the level of support for working age applicants
• Introducing a flat-rate non-dependent deduction of £10 a week
• Restricting the maximum support to Band D Council Tax levels
• Restricting the time we can backdate awards of Council Tax Reduction to one month

They would very much welcome your views by completing the online questionnaire at https://somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/comms/ctr

Please encourage as many people as you can to participate.