SL(5)289 – The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements and Default Scheme) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2019

Background and Purpose

Council Tax Reduction Schemes are the mechanism through which local authorities provide support to low income households in meeting their council tax liability.

These Regulations amend both the Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Prescribed Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2013 and the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Default Scheme) (Wales) Regulations 2013 (known collectively as “the 2013 CTRS Regulations”). It uprates certain figures used to calculate an applicant’s entitlement to a reduction under a Council Tax Reduction Scheme, and the subsequent level of reduction.

Procedure

Affirmative.

Technical Scrutiny

No points are identified for reporting under Standing Order 21.2 in respect of this instrument.

Merits Scrutiny

One point is identified for reporting under Standing Order 21.3 in respect of this instrument:

1. Standing Order 21.3(ii) that it is of political or legal importance or gives rise to issues of public policy likely to be of interest to the Assembly.

At regulation 1(4), the English text has the corresponding Welsh term for “council tax reduction scheme” (“cynllun gostyngiadau’r dreth gyngor”), but the Welsh text does not have the corresponding English term.

The 2013 CTRS Regulations are usually amended on an annual basis, and previous amending Regulations have always included the corresponding English term in the Welsh text.

Implications arising from exiting the European Union

No points are identified for reporting under Standing Order 21.3 in respect of this instrument.

Government Response

No government response is required.

Legal Advisers

Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee

4 December 2018