Isle of Wight residents on low incomes may continue to see the same level of support for their council tax bills amid annual hikes of the property levy.
Councillors have been recommended to keep the Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme for 2026/27 the same as the current arrangement in a report published prior to tonight’s (Wednesday’s) full council meeting.
A total of 163 residents responded to a consultation and most said they think the level of support given is sufficient.
The proposal has been put forward with the council’s ‘significant financial challenges’ in mind, with County Hall’s chief financial officer advising against new policy initiatives that would increase the financial burden on the local authority.
Current LCTS is limited to a maximum 75% reduction of claimants’ bills.
Those who can receive the 75% discount include couples with children earning up to £315 per week, single people earning up to £95 per week and single parents with one child earning up to £180 per week.
The lowest level of support is a 25% reduction, available for example to a single person earning between £195.01 and £245.00 per week.
County Hall’s Exceptional Hardship Fund – further assistance available to applicants experiencing extreme financial hardship – is recommended to continue.
The recommendation follows a public consultation on keeping current LCTS arrangements, held between September 8 and November 3.
County Hall’s report notes annual council tax increases have made it harder for LCTS claimants to pay their bills.
However, it says:
“During this unprecedented level of overall financial uncertainty for the budget, it is imperative that the council continues to exercise financial restraint and manage its cost base carefully if it is to remain well placed to respond to any inflation and service demand volatility.
“The proposed scheme supports this approach as it provides stability for claimants and poses no additional costs on the local authority (aside from the increase relative to any general council tax increase and to national benefit changes) and has less associated risks than other potential changes.”
Full council will meet at County Hall at 18:00 tonight.
Of course we shall have to wait and see by how much they(Council) increase the financial burden on an already struggling band of non benefit claimants.
More importantly, how much the brain dead Town and Parish Councils want to pursue their vanity projects and “giveaways”.
A great many of them will be out of the decision making process in May anyway, so they may choose the nuclear option and go out with a bang.
Agree. Hard pressed council tax payers would welcome a decrease in bills. Rather than being taken for a Ryde, by town councils building empires of importance.
If you consider your Town or Parish Council is “brain dead” in it’s current composition, have you considered offering your services or is it the case that you don’t do voluntary service or that joining the council wouldn’t have a positive effect on it’s collective IQ?
What do you mean so still too expensive and still at 5%..so brilliant thanks.
IW Council could raise so much extra revenue rather than keep
increasing council tax.
Many Councils in the Country charge permit parking charges.
Bath and North East Somerset council are charging motorists
who drive SUVs and Larger vehicles extra charges.
The island is meant to be going green, yet they don’t charge an
Island ULEZ charge to discourage motorists with dirty vehicles
to get them off the road.
So much can be done and needs to be done.
The cost of implementing a ULEZ system would take years to recover so for that period you would have to have a congestion charge and increased Council Tax. Inrural ares such as West Wight which is predominantly agricultural, larger vehicles are necessary – a Mini is not much use on a farm and surcharging farmers is going to impact everyone as the cost would have to be passed on.
Yes, and the money raised can only be used for transport/road schemes and not be spent in their general budget. Therefore not helping any other shortfalls