News MBC reminder to have your say on Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is reminding people to have their say regarding the proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

As part of a public consultation, MBC is asking for the views of residents and other stakeholders about proposals to change the reduction scheme. Options being considered within the consultation were approved by the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee and will run until 27 September.

The purpose of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme is to provide financial help with the payments for low income households. The recommendations outlined in the paper presented to the P&R Committee were aimed at enabling the Council to simplify the system, to make it easier for residents and reduce administrative processes.

MBC MidKent Services Director, Steve McGinnes commented:

“This may not seem important to everyone – but it is.  A review of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme helps protect low income residents in our community. We, therefore, want to hear from as many people as possible to understand their thoughts about the proposed changes for the scheme. If you have ten minutes to spare, please can I encourage you to take that time to take part in the consultation and complete the survey online.”

MBC is required to approve the Council Tax Reduction Scheme every year which will be in place for 12 months. Where there are changes proposed, it is necessary for a public consultation to take place, requiring an early decision on any proposed amendments.

A report was presented to update the Committee on the progress made on the review of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and options for public consultation in advance of taking a decision on the scheme to be implemented for 2021-22.

The public consultation survey is open until 27 September 2020 and takes around 10 minutes to complete.  The survey can be found on the MBC website:

Council Tax Reduction Scheme Survey

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