Each year Tameside Council must decide whether to revise its Council Tax Reduction Scheme (known as the Council Tax Support Scheme) for working-age applicants. The scheme for pension-age applicants is prescribed by Central Government and is not affected by this consultation.
The Council introduced its current income-banded scheme on 1 April 2025. Monitoring indicates that it has simplified administration, reduced reassessments and revised Council Tax bills, and improved customer understanding whilst maintaining support for vulnerable households.
The Council currently provides Council Tax Reduction to approximately 17,760 households, including approximately 10,825 working-age households and 6,935 pension-age households. The annual value of support is approximately £19.3 million. Universal Credit claimants now represent almost 78% of the working-age caseload.
For 2027/28, the Council is consulting on a number of changes, including increasing maximum support from 75% to 80% of a Band A charge and introducing the range of proposed improvements set out in this questionnaire.
The proposed changes are intended to:
- increase support for working-age households on low incomes;
- increase support for carers and households with disabled children;
- strengthen incentives to enter or remain in work;
- protect households receiving Universal Credit Transitional Protection;
- update income thresholds to reflect current circumstances; and
- support the Council's wider anti-poverty objectives.
The Council is legally required to consult before changing the scheme. All responses will be considered before a final decision is made by Full Council. Any agreed changes would take effect from 1 April 2027.
How to complete this questionnaire
You do not have to answer every question. However, please answer as many of the main consultation questions as you can. The questions about you and the equality monitoring questions are optional, and you may skip any question you do not wish to answer.
Thank you for taking the time to share your views. It should take around 10 minutes to fill in this consultation.
