Towns affected most by planned council tax changes
GoogleThe four towns most likely to be impacted by proposed council tax changes in a county have been revealed.
Durham County Council plans to overhaul its Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS), which currently allows low-earners to apply for a discount of up to 100% off their bill.
Peterlee, Stanley, Bishop Auckland, and Ferryhill are set to be the most impacted due to having the largest proportion of council tax discount claims, the local authority said.
Reform deputy council leader, Darren Grimes, told a cabinet meeting capping discounts would bring the scheme in line "with the majority of other councils", but said the decision had "not been taken lightly".
The Reform-led local authority had suggested four possible options for the CTRS scheme.
The first would allow residents to apply for a discount of up to 100% off their bills, depending on their income.
The remaining options would require residents to pay a minimum of 10%, 20% or 25% of their full bill.
Around 32,600 working-age people are currently signed up for the scheme, at a total cost of more than £60m per year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Council data reveals 62.6% of current claimants are female.
Decision in December
The introduction of a cap would result in all working-age residents required to pay a minimum amount towards their council tax liability - meaning that all, regardless of their financial circumstances, would make a contribution to council services.
Grimes said: "Introducing a cap is not taken lightly, especially not for a lad from Stanley, and this is why we want to consult far and wide and will seek views from a broad range of stakeholders.
"We will reflect carefully on the feedback before making any recommendations."
A final decision is due to be made at a full council meeting in December.