Last night (7 February 2024), Merton Council approved one of the country’s most generous Council Tax Support (CTS) schemes.
Merton’s CTS is designed to help the borough’s least well off with their Council Tax, and will see approximately 7,000 households not having to pay anything at all, whilst a further approximate 3,000 households will have their bill reduced.
The scheme was introduced in 2013, when the Government handed the responsibility to administer CTS to local authorities, whilst also reducing the funding for it. Merton was one of the few councils that decided to absorb the cost of keeping the eligibility the same for the scheme, rather than removing the support from some low-income households. With the financial squeeze on local authorities getting tighter each year, fewer and fewer councils have been able to maintain the same level of support, but Merton is now in its 12th year of ensuring that no household loses eligibility for CTS as a result of continued underfunding from central Government.
Most of those eligible for CTS will be claiming Universal Credit, Housing Benefit or Pension Credits, but full details of eligibility, as well as information on how to apply, can be found on the council’s CTS webpage.
With the cost of living crisis hitting households in Merton and around the country, the helping hand that the CTS offers is especially important. The extension of the scheme is just one of the measures the council is taking to tackle the pressure residents are facing as a result of rising costs. As well as a £3 million Cost of Living Fund to provide direct support and practical advice; local libraries have also been hosting cost of living events where residents can receive information from dozens of community organisations from Citizens Advice to mental health services, with further events to be announced soon.
Councillor Billy Christie, Merton’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: ”We’re pleased that our Council Tax will once again be lower than neighbours in Sutton, Kingston, and Croydon, but we know that paying Council Tax can be a struggle – especially for those households on low incomes.
“That’s why – thanks to our careful management of Merton’s budget – we can once again expand our Council Tax Support scheme to ensure that nobody misses out on this vital financial lifeline as a result of Government cuts to Merton.
“During a cost of living crisis, it’s one of our top priorities to keep costs down for Merton residents facing squeezed household budgets, so I’m delighted that we’re continuing to offer one of the most far-reaching CTS schemes anywhere in the country.”