Four days to have your say on council tax benefit changes
RESIDENTS have four days left to have their say on the future allocation of council tax benefit in Crawley.
From April 2013, the government will no longer pay the full cost for support with council tax bills. Instead they will provide a lower fixed sum to councils to help working age people who need support paying council tax.
The funding Crawley Borough Council receives from government will not meet the demand for council tax support and is expected to be around £500,000 short each year and potentially more.
The council can cover some of the cost but it needs a scheme which is more cost effective while remaining as fair as possible.
As a result, the council is asking for residents’ views on who should receive the benefit and who should not and has drafted a scheme which aims to assist some of the most vulnerable people in the community while encouraging people back to work.
Local people, young and old, in and out of work, disabled and able-bodied are urged to tell the council what they think of the proposed scheme.
Cllr Bob Lanzer, leader of Crawley Borough Council, said: “This is a very complicated issue and we’re keen to get it right but we can’t do that without the help of local people.
“Recent consultation with Crawley residents regarding wider budget topics showed support for the council to run a new scheme within the smaller budget provided by government.
“We want to make sure this is the general view by asking everyone to have their say. Our ultimate goal is to be as fair as possible, making sure we’re supporting the most vulnerable people in our community and also encouraging people who can work to get back into employment.”
Some people will not be affected by the changes including pensioners and parents of children under five receiving Income Support.
Log on to www.crawley.gov.uk/counciltaxbenefit to find out more and to leave your views by Friday September 28.
If you have any questions email CTRS@crawley.gov.uk or call 01293 438718.
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Weather for Crawley
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 14 C to 26 C
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Wind direction: East
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Light rain
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